Grey Vitals
by Steele.Hearts33
Summary: Seven years ago, Dr Grey's wife died making him promise to move on and love again. Dr. Steele is the newest surgical resident at Seattle Gen. After having her heart broken in am embarrassing way, she only takes her men as a chaser to her tequila. Can these two find a way to be together, or will the emotional roadblocks keep them apart?
1. Chapter 1

**Grey Vitals**

 **A/N: Those of you that follow me, know that this is my follow up to Promise Me. If you haven't read it, you should. It won't be required to follow along with this story, but it might help you understand Christian just a little bit more. This will be my Fifty Shades take on Grey's Anatomy. While this story will definitely be lemonly like the Steele stories, it won't feature BDSM in any aspect except maybe a spanking while in the moment. There is no Elena in this story as well.**

 **A special shout out to my amazing Beta, Gate Park. I don't think this story will be nearly as amazing as it could be without her.**

 **Starting this week, I will have three stories updating simultaneously. I will update each only once a week, and once I'm further along in the chapters, I'll stick to a regular update schedule. Two days to Steele Love.**

 **As always, I don't own FSoG or its character.**

 **Laters**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Monday May 22** **nd**

Ana's POV

Ugh. What is that noise? That incessant beep, beep, beep. I slowly open one eye. First, I see the light blinding me through the windows. Huh, I always close the windows after a night a drinking. I open the other eye, looking for the source of that noise.

"UUUgghhh, would you shut that off already?" Oh, shit there's someone in my bed! I turn my head and look at the man next to me. Holy hell he is hot! But I don't remember meeting him at all. It must have been the tequila. It's always the tequila.

"Um, Hi. The alarm is on your side. Can you shut it off please? I don't want to reach over you." I'm trying to keep the sheet up over myself, no need to give the guy a reason to think he can stick around. He turns and shuts the alarm off and then tries to scoot closer to me. But I quickly get up out of the bed, dragging my sheet with me, wrapping it around me, of course, in doing so I uncover his entire body. He's an Adonis. I did good last night. He has by far the biggest dick I've ever seen, let alone fucked. And I know I fucked that dick last night. I can still feel him in between my legs. I don't remember what we did, but it had to be good. I'll fill my nights with my images of this man and my vibrator doing all the things I want him to do to me.

Right now though, I need him to leave. I have to be at the hospital in 2 hours. It's my first day as an intern at Seattle General. This man in my house is stopping me from being the first new intern there. He just stays in the bed, knowing I'm watching him though. I watch as the smirk spreads across his face and he reaches both arms behind his head, crossing his feet at the ankle while he reclines in my brand new king sized bed. He has a roman jaw covered in a day's stubble and his dark copper locks fall slightly over his forehead. He really is a good looking man and I wish that I could remember what happened last night. It might be a good thing that I don't though. This can only be a one-time thing. I don't do repeats anymore. I learned my lesson five years ago.

I look back at Mr. Tall Dark and Insanely Handsome one last time. "Listen, I don't remember your name, or much of what we did last night, but I've got somewhere I've got to be in a few hours, so I need you to get your clothes and get gone."

The smile from his face falls. "Christian, my name is Christian. I was hoping that we would have a repeat of last night followed by pancakes."

"Sorry Christian, but I've got a new job starting and orientation won't wait for me. I've got to be there early to make sure everyone knows I'm the best. So you've got to go."

"Can I take a shower first?" This guy isn't giving up.

"Listen I'm 30 seconds from tossing your clothes on my front lawn. I don't think the neighbors would like me shoving your naked ass out the door." Inside my head, I'm screaming, Please leave! I need to leave the house in an hour to get there early enough to tour the hospital so I know where everything is before everyone else. I've not stepped inside Seattle General since I was eleven, just before we moved to Boston.

"Okay I get it. I'll just use the bathroom and then I'll be on my way. Can I get a cup of coffee to go at least?"

"No." I walk to the bedroom door and open it and wait for him to put his pants.

"I can't find my boxers." He put his shirt back on and then reaches for his pants. "Do you think you could get them back to me if you find them?" Really, he wants them back? This must be his way to get me to call him or something. I thought leaving things behind at a hook-up's place was a girl thing. It's not like I would really know, I've had one relationship in my 25 years. I thought he was the one and gave him my heart. Then he stomped all over it after two years. Now I stick to one night stands. And Tequila. Thinking of the tequila brings me to a flashback of last night.

 _I ordered my tequila the way I like it, straight, no chaser and extra salt. Looking around the bar while I waited for the_ bartender to pour my _shot I saw him and I knew I had to have him for the night. I strutted from my end of the bar over to him. I didn't even bother to check my outfit. I knew I looked hot, even he 'who shall not be named' said so. My white Prada skater skirt dress makes my legs look long and lean with a little help from the 4 inch heeled Jimmy Choo Kerfield black mesh and suede platform ankle booties. The black leather motorcycle jacket adding just a bit of edge to the look. My hair is(styled in sleek waves with a deep side part. The only make up I'm wearing is the voluminous mascara and my favorite Vice F-Bomb red lipstick._

 _My mattress mambo partner for the night was dress in a beautiful navy suit with a light blue shirt, opened at the collar. His five o'clock shadow made him look yummy and I wanted to lick that jaw from his ear to his mouth. "Hi, I'm Ana. Anastasia Steele."_

 _Before he could say anything the bartender placed my shot in front of me with the salt shaker. "Tequila and salt huh? Where's the lime?"_

 _"Lime's for pussies and pansies who think it makes them look cool when they do the shot. That and fraternity keggers where the guys want the girls to kiss when they're done."_

 _He laughs a second and smiles, "Well then why the salt?"_

 _"Makes the tequila bite harder, the way I like it." With that I slowly lick the back of hand, making sure he sees the tip of my tongue when I do it, wishing it was his cock and not my hand. A shake of the salt, a fast lick this time and then I slam the tequila down my throat. The burn taking my troubles away for the night. I can see the heat in his eyes and I know the night will go much better than I thought it would 45 minutes ago._

Shit I was in rare form last night. I guide the dude to the front door, with the sheet still wrapped around me. Luckily, Kate and Jose won't be awake for another 30 minutes at least.

"Well see you around." I waited until he was outside the front door and then I unceremoniously slammed it in his face before he could ask for my number. I raced back to my room and my attached bathroom to get ready for the day.

I'm starting in the same hospital my father started at. The last time I was in this hospital I was 11 years old. My mother had brought me in to say goodbye to all of Daddy's doctor friends before his last day ended. They had thrown him a party with cake and I remember crying on Dr. Grace's shoulder when it was time to go. I hadn't wanted to move away from all my friends and the only life I knew. She had always been nice to me, even had me over to her house often. Her daughter, Mia was the same age as me and was one of my two best friends. I remember her having two really annoying older brothers too. The one boy was always rude and short tempered. The other was fun, but he was already away in college I think by the time I moved.

Grace will be at the hospital when I get there today. She's going to give me a tour before we meet with our residents. She's the one who called me and asked me to come join their program. She had heard about a paper I wrote at Harvard on the need for further advancement in non-invasive pediatric surgical procedures. She is determined to turn me into a pediatric specialist. I actually don't mind it either. I just don't want anywhere near Cardio. That was dad's specialty and I'm not about to try and live up to the legacy of the great Raymond Steele.

Just thinking about Daddy makes my heart hurt. I can see the water steaming around me, but I feel ice cold. Daddy died almost 2 years ago. He had been my whole world. I looked up to him. He was one of the greatest surgeons in the country, and still he found time to always be there when I needed him. He never missed an important milestone at school. He was there to teach me to ride a bike, how to fish, and how to throw a right hook properly. He had served six years in the Army as a trauma surgeon before moving back home to Seattle, when he met my mother the day he returned home and they were married three months later. I was born a year after that. She loved him fiercely and I knew she was taking his death as hard as I was.

I never expected to get that phone call while I was at Harvard. I had just finished my last midterm exam when the phone rang. Dad was scrubbing in when he suddenly grabbed his head and collapsed on the floor. I was told he seized for nearly two minutes. When they took him to have a CT scan, it showed an aneurism. Mom said the best neurosurgeon at the hospital immediately took him into surgery, but the minute they exposed the aneurism, it ruptured. He coded on the table and they did everything they could, but it was too late. He would have hated to wake up from that anyway, if he had woken up. The recovery to regain his memories and functions of his own body would have destroyed every ounce of pride he had. The great Raymond Steele, winner of two Mason Jackson awards for innovations in surgical medicine, would have hated not to be able to operate.

I finish the shower and quickly exit, dressing in the first jeans and t-shirt I find in my closet. My room looks a mess from whatever we did last night, but it will have to wait. I grab my jacket, knowing it's going to rain soon and head downstairs. I'm glad to see Kate and Jose already in the kitchen eating breakfast. Breakfast is the one thing Kate can cook. Eggs, Bacon, and pancakes. As long as you liked your eggs scrambled, the bacon extra crispy, and the pancakes thirty seconds from being burned anyway.

"Ana, who was the dude on the front porch without his shoes this morning?" Jose doesn't hide the jealousy in his voice. I might strangle him if he doesn't ever get over this crush and just realize he's gay. He hates Abercrombie and Fitch but he keeps old copies of their catalogues around, he owns more hair products than I do, and my mother is a socialite who supplies me with all my beauty needs.

"Some guy I picked up at the bar across from the hospital last night. I had way more tequila then I normally do. He was hot though, I just wish I remembered how well he fucked." I take a sip of my coffee and see the classic Kavanagh stare glaring at me.

"Ana, tequila and nameless hookups won't solve the problem you've got. I know you didn't want to stick around and hear what he had to say, but you need to know a few things before going to the hospital today." I put my hand up pausing her before she continues. I refuse to hear her say his name again. She's said it so much over the last year trying to get me to contact him. She's convinced he's my one true love. Truth is, I realize now I didn't love Luke as much as I thought I did. I loved the idea of Luke. I loved that he treated me the way my father treated my mother. I loved that he was going to be a surgeon just like my father, and I loved that my mother loved him. But we were really two different people. I've long since moved past hating him. Doesn't mean that I don't hate the way he made me feel when he ended things. Like I said before, nameless hookups work better for me.

"Kate stop right there. Five years ago, to the day yesterday I might add, he took me to dinner. Told me it was going to be a special night. We all thought he was going to propose. I spent the day getting ready like I was Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, and then he called me Sunshine, like he always did and dumped me. I really felt like Elle Woods then. He knew I wouldn't cause a scene in my father's dining club. He told me he needed to focus on medical school and his first go at puppy love would be distracting. I don't love the man anymore, but I don't need to speak of him or to him."

I toss the coffee mug in the sink, grab my keys and purse and walk out the door. They can drive themselves today. Starting my white 2014 Lexus GS 350 F Sport, a graduation from Daddy on the day I graduated from Columbia, and head to the only other place in this city I remember ever really feeling his strength.

Christian's POV

She kicked me out. I had the most amazing sex in my life with her, even more amazing then it was with my wife. I look at my now ring less left hand as I scrub my hands and prepare for the tumor resection I'm scheduled for this morning. I try and reflect on last night and figure out where I went wrong. She was amazing. She kept insisting I call her Ana. She looked fantastic and so familiar. I know when I first saw her, my initial reaction was that she looked so much like my wife. But when she walked over to me full of confidence and spunk, she couldn't have been any more different. They shared the same long dark chestnut locks and porcelain skin, but Anastasia's eyes were a dark blue, almost cobalt, whereas my wife's had been bourbon brown. All I knew about her was that she was 25, starting work today, and had a strong hatred for a man named Luke. She wanted to chop off his balls on several occasions last night.

I watched her take two shots before she convinced me to take one. While she had been licking the salt from the back of her hand, she pulled her hair to one side and tilted her head to give me access to her neck. I was hooked as soon as my tongue touched her skin. She tasted like summertime. I was so aroused in that moment. I hadn't been hard for another woman since my wife had died. Many a woman has tried to coax me into their beds, but I've never even been tempted.

We stopped talking after her third shot, she licked the salt from my neck and then dragged me to her home. We continued with the shots there and before I knew it, she was stripping, seductively walking to her bedroom. It was the most erotic show I had ever seen.

I continue scrubbing my hands, knowing I need to tuck the memory of last night away before entering the OR. The nurse hands me a towel to dry my hands while another holds the gown for me. I'm then gloved by the first nurse as the second ties my gown and the mask to my face. Today I'm being assisted by Dr. Luke Sawyer. He's a third year resident, and one of the brightest minds I know. He's declared early that neuro was where he wanted to specialize. I plan to ask him to join my research team.

"Dr. Sawyer, good to see you today. How's the patient doing?" I listen to him give me the last vitals and test results.

"Well ladies and gentlemen, it looks like it's a beautiful day to save lives. Scalpel please."

Ana's POV

I was eleven when we moved to Boston. Four years later he moved us to New York City, and five years ago, just before the start of my junior year at Columbia, Dad and Mom moved back to Seattle. Dad was offered the Chief of Surgery position at Seattle General. He was given a larger research budget and the potential to be Chief of Staff in the hospital in ten years when the current Chief retired.

Walking with Dr. Grace Trevelyen Grey around the hospital my father died in was an experience. I was constantly looking and seeing all the differences from when I was a kid. The lobby entrance was updated three years ago, I'm told. It's a lot of steel and glass now. The marble made Grace's heels click as we walked. She took me to see each department, ending with the pediatrics wing. I loved it there. I've always loved kids, but I know I won't ever have any of my own. I want a love like my parents had, so my kids would have the kind of childhood I did growing up. I want them to grow up knowing what a good relationship is. Seeing how I won't spend more than a night with a guy, that's not going to happen. I don't have sex without a condom, and I religiously get the Depo shot every three months.

I got to meet the new head of the cardio department. Jason Taylor looks to be in his early forties. He kept telling me little stories about my father. Rather than making me smile though, I was melancholy now. Dr. Taylor ended our conversation by telling me how Daddy wanted nothing more than for me to be happy and he had told Jason he had a plan for my happiness just before he died.

Tuning Dr. Taylor out as he continues to talk about Daddy, I reflect on the start of my day yesterday.

 _"Ana, why does Kate get the room with the bigger closet? I have almost as many clothes as she does and a smaller dresser." Jose's whining is driving me nuts. I made him take the room on the farthest end of the hall from me. Everyone around him may realize he's gay, but he thinks he's in love with me and that we'll make pretty babies together._

 _"Jose, you get that room because Kate has dresses to hang up, you don't. She has office attire to maintain, you don't. We get to wear what we want into the hospital, they provide our scrubs for us daily. She can't show up to work as the owner's daughter in wrinkled jeans." While Jose and I were starting our internships at the hospital tomorrow, Kate was starting at Kavanagh Media. She was taking over the Vice President position and in two years her dad would turn the reins over to her completely. It was the deal they made for her to continue to Grad school with us and get her Master in Business Administration at Harvard. Pair that with her journalism degree from Columbia and she's going to be a force to be reckoned with in the journalism world._

 _"Get over it Jose. I've told you before, I'm the childhood best friend, and you're the dude we felt sorry for at the freshman mixer. I'll always win when it comes to Ana." Kate just loves to rub it in Jose's nose that she and I knew each other when we were younger. Mia, Kate, and I were pretty inseparable most days. When I moved to Boston with mom and dad we lost touch. Fourteen years ago, was before Facebook, Skyping and unlimited data plans. It was pure luck that Kate and I wound up in the same dorm room together at Columbia. She told me that she and Mia had grown apart once they reached high school. Mia's lack of ambition and plans to do nothing but shop on her trust fund dime rubbed Kate the wrong way. Don't misinterpret Kate though, she has a trust fund as well. She was fortunate to finish school debt free and she loves her designer labels, but she wants more out of life._

 _Kate was in Seattle last summer interning with her dad and said that my Mom spent her time lunching with the ladies of the country club. When she wasn't lunching she was shopping. She has nearly 25 million in the bank from dad's years of hard work and sound investments, not to mention his life insurance. The day I graduated Harvard, I found out that I inherited $15 million on my own. And a house, but not just any house though, my childhood home. Mom gifted it to me as a graduation present. She had the house completely redecorated for us before we moved in last week. I've spent this morning doing the last of my unpacking._

 _"Ladies, can you please get a move on. We have to be at the Fairmont for this award dinner by seven. I don't want to be late and find out I've already pissed off my resident before I've even meet him or her." Jose is right. We need to get to the salon soon if we're going to be ready in time._

 _"Alright Jose let's get to the salon. I need a massage to deal with this tonight. Mom is going to be there. I'm told that she's started dating another doctor from the hospital. It's part of the reason she bought the condo in Escala. She told me it was time she moved on." She was only 48. She said Daddy wouldn't have wanted her to spend the rest of her life grieving him if she could find love again, and she's right. Dad might have been a workaholic, but he loved us greatly. It's part of why he was so upset when Luke and I broke up. Shit thinking of him makes my stomach turn._

 _The three of us spent the afternoon getting pampered at my mother's favorite salon and spa. Even Jose partook in the pedicures and facials. He drew the line at the manicure, but I think it was because one of the beauticians was speaking French. She didn't know we were all fluent when she talked about what a shame it was all the good looking men were gay._

I'm brought out of my memories of yesterday by the entrance of some of the other interns into the locker room. I've been here for nearly ten minutes. I've claimed a top locker closest to the door and saved one for Jose next to mine. I'm wearing the maroon scrubs that are designated for the interns. I'm told residents will be in a light orange scrub and the attendings will be in a hunter green. Grace was in a dress under her lab coat, saying she had a meeting with the board this morning while we were all going through orientation.

"Hey Ana, you could have waited for me this morning. Kate complained the whole way here about going out of her way to drop me off." Jose is always put out by having to spend time alone with Kate.

"Sorry, but I wanted to be here early and you guys wanted to talk about he who shall not be named." I don't feel bad about leaving this morning. I know we'll be here for the next 12 hours at least so he'll ride home with me. I finish tying my maroon Nike's and shut my locker.

It isn't but a few minutes later when a red-haired woman walks in wearing orange scrubs. She whistles getting everyone's attention before she introduces herself. "Welcome to Seattle General's intern program. I am Elizabeth Morgan, your chief resident. Today I'm going to give you a brief tour before assigning you to your resident advisors for the duration of your intern year. Next year as residents you will continue to report to your resident advisor until your third year here when you get your own interns. By then you'll realize how horrible interns really are. Follow me." She leaves and everyone scrambles out of the locker room to follow her. She starts by giving us a tour of the hospital much like the one I received earlier from Grace. When we reach the cardiothoracic wing she goes on to talk about what an amazing doctor Dad was, it's why they renamed the wing after him in January. "This is the Raymond Steele Cardio wing. As med students, you should have learned about the Steele Method for lung transplants. He pioneered the technique that set the stage for lung transplants the way we know them. Dr. Steele was only the second doctor to earn the Mason Jackson award twice. And he's the only doctor to earn his two awards in the same decade. It was in New York at Mt. Sinai Hospital that he developed an artificial lung to use in cystic fibrosis patients. Five years ago, he was hailed as the greatest medical mind of our time. I was lucky to learn under him my intern year." Jose nudges me and I just shrug my shoulders. We haven't done the name exchange with the others and I wasn't going to tell anyone I was Ray Steele's daughter unless I had to.

"Now, this is the end of the tour. I want you to look around you. There are 25 of you. Of the 25, there will only be 20 of you here in six months. In a year, it will be 15. When you reach your third year and earn the right to teach interns yourself, there will only be twelve of you. In five years only five of you will still be here and asked to stay for fellowships. One of you will fail your boards. It's just the way it is. Which part of the equation will you be?"

She gives us all a moment to look around and size each other up. I see each of them and wonder how best to teach them all who the top dog is in this fight. I'm brought out of my inner monologue when she continues, "If you look over at the nurses' station board you'll see your assignments in each of your program departments. Report to your floors and meet your residents. Welcome to your first day of hell." Her smile is warm and encouraging but her words leave us all a little chilled. Jose and I wait for the others to start to leave, we walk to the board and I let Jose look for us. "We're assigned to Doctor Bailey and we're to meet her in the Post-op area." I walk to the stairwell at the end of the hallway. I'm not waiting on the elevator with all the others. Jose and I will have one other intern assigned with us to our resident. Another three interns will be assigned to the other third year surgical resident in our department.

As we climb the stairs, my mind drifts to the moments before I went to the bar last night. I wandered around the city for nearly an hour before I found myself across the street from the hospital.

 _Kate, Jose, and I had just parked my car in the hotel garage before heading inside to the banquet. We were laughing and making fun of Jose changing six times before we left when I heard someone call my name._

 _"Ana. Ana stop. Wait Annie, please just look at me." I turned around and saw a face I hadn't seen in five years. Five years to the day he dumped me. What the hell is he doing here?_

 _"What the fuck do you want Luke?"_

 _"Do you have to be so hostile?" He's standing six feet in front of me. Kate and Jose are only a foot behind me, Jose ready to fight for me if I need him, which I don't. My black belt in karate will do all the damage I need done. Luke hasn't changed much in the time since I last seen him. He's bulked up a little more; his shoulders are broader covered with muscle under his suit jacket. Clean shaven as always and the same military style haircut my dad use to get._

 _"Well I could say it's great seeing you, but we both know that would be a lie. I have somewhere to be." I want out of here now._

 _"I know. I saw your name on the guest list. I was hoping I could talk you into accompanying me inside so we could talk. I have so many things to say. I've been trying to get ahold of you for the last year, but Kate said you would just refuse my calls." I turn and look pointedly at my best friend. I didn't know they had talked._

 _"She's right. I don't want to talk to you." I cross my arms feeling the comfort of my leather jacket surround me._

 _"Well I need to talk to you. I've talked to your mother, hell I even talked to your father before he died. You know we were meant to be together, I made a mistake. I love you. Please just talk to me."_

 _"I don't know what my parents have to do with this, but you and I aren't meant to be. You proved that when you led me to believe you were going to propose and then dumped me after ordering a bottle of champagne. There is no happily ever after for us." I'm ready to leave. I can't be in that room with him if this is the way he's going to be._

 _"Ana, even your dad wanted us together. He told me he wanted me to marry you. It was only the day before he died. He was planning to surprise you and take me with him when he visited. He wanted you to settle down and be with me."_

 _"Luke, shut the hell up before I punch you! You don't get to talk about my father."_

 _"Ana, he told me about all the drinking and the random men you were with after I left. I didn't want that for you. I was supposed to be your first and only. Your dad didn't want that for..." I didn't let him finish before my fist connected with his face. A well placed right hook, just like daddy taught me. He'll have a black eye tomorrow and I hope he has fun telling everyone he got it from a girl._

 _"You don't get to talk about my father. You can kiss my ass Lucas Scott Sawyer. Fuck off and don't try to talk to or contact me again." I turn back to Kate and Jose. I need a drink. "You guys go on without me. Here are my keys. I'm going to find me some good tequila and a new man." It's always the same, every few months since Luke and I broke up, I'd get lonely or pissed at him. I would drink copious amounts of tequila and then I find a hot man to rock my world for the night. I only do one night stands since Luke. Sometimes I'd get lucky and find a man who could rock my world even better than Luke did. I've learned that he had what is an average dick. Nothing special about it. It slightly curves to the left, it's a thin dick about 7 ½ inches long. He knew how to work it most nights though, but I had to keep myself tight to be able to feel him._

Entering the surgical floor I'm pulled from my thoughts. Jose and I see our resident waiting at the nurses station and it looks like we are the first ones. The elevator pings with the other four surgical residents as we reach her. Our third team member, Barney Sullivan, joins us and Doctor Ros Bailey introduces herself.

"I'm Dr. Ros Bailey. I have four rules. Rule number one, you do not do anything unless I've told you to. Number two, don't kill anyone. Rule number three, if I'm sleeping, don't wake me unless the patient is dying and then you need to remember rule number two. Rule number four, when I run, you run." She points to the stop of the counter, "These are your pagers. When you are here you are to answer them immediately. If I have to page you a second time you'll be dealing with exploding bowels for a week." She's cut off by the beeping of her own pager. "Okay people lets go." She takes off running and it only takes a moment before I'm sprinting after her with Jose and Barney trailing behind me.

Christian's POV

Luke and I were successful in surgery today. He's going to make a great surgeon and I'm hoping he will complete his fellowship here. "You did great in there today Sawyer." We're standing at the sinks doing our post op scrub. When he takes off his mask and scrub cap I can't help but notice the shiner on his right eye. "What the hell did you run into last night?"

Luke shakes his head with a look of sadness crossing his face, "I ran into my old girlfriend from college last night. She didn't like some of the things I had to say. I've been trying to find a way to get her to talk to me for a year with no luck. I tried to tell her I made a mistake and still love her. Then I made the mistake of saying her father approved and she took exception to that. She was a daddy's girl and it was a low blow. She punched me and took off in a cab. Her friend was sure she'd find her with a new man in her bed this morning. Apparently, that's her "go to" way of dealing when it comes to even the mention of me. Lots of alcohol and random men, it makes me sick at my stomach."

I want to feel sorry for the guy, but I've seen the way he goes through the interns and nurses. He's slept with almost the entire single obstetrics staff and half of dermatology. He's doesn't have much room to talk, but he looks absolutely sad. If he really loves this girl, he's got to try. I remember how much I loved my wife. "You need to get her alone in a place like an elevator so that she can't escape your heart-to-heart. Lay it all out on the line and be prepared to grovel."

"Thanks Dr. Grey. I'll give that a try. She started as an intern here today. She's on Bailey's team. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I slept with Ros for a month our intern year, if she says anything to her first I'm screwed." We finish washing and dry our hands before exiting to the hallway where his interns have been waiting on him. "Dr. Grey let me introduce you to my team. The newest member of the surgical program here includes, Olivia Blandino," He points to the blonde at the end. She's giving me her best doe eyes and all I can think about are the cobalt blue eyes of Ana. "The guy in middle is Blake Ryan, and the woman on the end is Gwen Sutton." I nod to each of them.

"It's nice meeting you all. I'm sorry but I have to dismiss myself. I promised to have a late lunch my mother." I excuse myself and head for my office. I take a few minutes to remember my beauty from last night. I plan to have a bouquet of flowers delivered to her home tonight when she should return. I left my underwear on the side of the bed partially hidden by the comforter. I'm hoping she'll want to return them and sending the flowers with my number will allow her to do so. She tasted wonderful on my tongue last night. I spent hours feasting on every inch of her skin. It felt amazing being inside of her. She insisted on condoms and thankfully she had them, I haven't had the need for one in seven years.

I leave the office and head to the pediatrics floor to meet my mother. I try to eat with her each day we work together. She has kept me in check for the last seven years. She pulled me from my grief and got me focused back on medicine. She was my top supporter during my long years in the research lab. She lifted me back up each time I broke down after a patient died and I was unsuccessful. She reminded me of why I needed to continue.

When I reach the floor, I spot my mother and her sleek dark blonde bob easily enough. She's speaking to a couple of interns with their backs to me. "Christian." She's excited when she sees me, waiving for me to wait by her office door for a moment while she speaks with the interns. She walks to me quickly, "Honey, I want to introduce someone to you. Her father was Raymond Steele and she wants to meet the man that worked so hard to save her dad. You might remember her, she was good friends with Mia before she moved to Boston when she was eleven."

My mother has been in match making mode for the last year. She was convinced I would look for love again after I found a cure for the cancer that killed my grandmother as well as my wife. The virus I created is injected directly into the tumor and works to kill the cancerous cells effectively shrinking the tumor until it is gone. It's now being used in research labs across the globe to try and create the same effect for other kinds of cancer.

"Mother, I only came here to take you to lunch, not get set up on a blind date."

"Christian it is nothing like that. I have an emergency case that has come in. She's a surgical intern; she wants to pick your brain. Mia will be so happy when she finds out Ana is here."

Ana? I remember that being the name of the girl I was with last night. Shit. She said her name was Anastasia Steele. I watch mother as she walks back to the interns, the guy walks away with mother while the woman turns. I can see it's her before she's fully turned around. Ana Steele, the newest surgical intern and Raymond Steele's daughter, one of my mentors, is the girl from the bar.

Ana's POV

Grace has roped me into having lunch with her son. She has a case with a malnourished child that came into the ER last night. She doesn't want to leave the floor until social services gets there. She said it's been eight hours since they were called. When she sends Jose to monitor all of Doctor Bailey's post ops she points to her son before walking off. I take my time turning to walk toward him. When I've fully seen him, I stop dead in my tracks. He's the guy from the bar. I'm suddenly assaulted with flashes from last night's escapades.

 _My nipple is in his mouth and my hands are tangled in his hair._

 _His hand running up the back of my thigh as he moves my leg over his hip._

 _His fingers inside of me, expertly working me toward ecstasy._

 _Me on top of him with my mouth on his cock._

 _Him tossing me to the side, "Enough," followed by the sound of the condom package being opened._

 _Him telling me gruffly, "Open your eyes Anastasia."_

 _The feeling of_ _a_ _fullness I've never experienced before when he entered me. He has the biggest dick I've ever seen and it feels amazing inside me, like it was made for me._

 _His rhythmic thrusts as he works toward his orgasm. His words whispered in my ear between kisses to my neck, "Come with me beautiful."_

I remember it all. He took me three more times throughout the night. It was the most exhilarating sexual experience of my life and I feel like everything after will never live up to that.

"Dr. Grey, it's a pleasure to meet you." I hold my hand out to him as I meet him in the hallway near his mother's office.

"Believe me Anastasia, the pleasure is all mine, again." He takes my hand in his, and the electric feeling from last night returns. This man could easily break down my walls with his piercing grey eyes. I need to get this over with and stay as far away from him as possible.

"Thank you. Grace was telling me that you operated on Daddy and I wanted to hear your thoughts about it. I didn't come back home but for three days since I was in the middle of mid-terms when he died. I never came to the hospital or asked for his file." I try and keep on track as to the reason why we are doing this today. I have to try my best to not think about last night.

"Yes, well. Let's hit the cafeteria, its Italian day today. The alfredo is actually pretty good." He leads me to the elevator with his hand resting on the small of my back. I can feel his heat through the fabric of my lab coat and scrub top. It brings me a sense of calm I've never experienced before.

Upon entering the elevator, I realize we're the only ones inside. I peek up at him from under my lashes and see him staring at me as well. It feels like the air is buzzing around us. My breath is starting to come in short pants, I close my eyes and feel him turn toward him. "Anastasia." When I open my eyes he's staring at me, facing me as well.

"Oh fuck it." I launch myself at him, fusing my lips to his. He quickly turns us pinning me to the side of the elevator. I don't care if anyone sees us at this moment. I don't want this kiss to ever end. My hands are once again tangled in his copper locks. His hands are cradling my face tilting my head giving him the best access to my mouth. He is magnificent. The kiss is full of passion and desperation. I faintly hear the elevator ping and feel it come to a stop. I'm ignoring the opening of the doors as I continue to tangle my tongue around his.

"What the fuck Doctor Grey?" I hear a familiar voice full of anger to the side of us when the doors are open fully. Christian extracts himself from me and looks to the right to see who is interrupting us.

"Is there something wrong Dr. Sawyer?" Sawyer, did he say Sawyer? No, no it can't be. I thought he was at Mercy West.

"What's wrong is you're kissing my girl." His girl? Who the hell does he think he is?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the next installment in this drama filled soap. There is a little bit of a cliffhanger, but it's not a suspenseful cliffhanger like my other stories contain. This story is all about the drama and the hot doctors of Seattle General Hospital.**

 **Be sure and look at my profile for a link to my pinterest page, as well as my new author facebook link. There is also a tentative schedule for story posting.**

 **If you have questions, feel free to message me. I always enjoy reading the reviews and it's your encouragement that keeps me writing. Remember to follow or favorite to keep getting the updates sent to your email.**

 **As always, I don't own FSoG.**

 **Shout to the Bomb Diggity, Gate Park, The Best Beta in the World. Thank you.**

 **Laters**

 **Chapter 2**

Ana's POV

"What's wrong is you're kissing my girl." His girl -WTF? Who the hell does he think he is? I can't believe Luke is here and I am not happy about this revelation.

"Dr. Sawyer, I think you need to remember who you are talking to." Christian pulls me out of the elevator but positions himself in front of me, blocking me from Luke's view.

"Dr. Grey, did you or did you not, say that I needed to get myself alone with my girl and lay it all out on the line or not? Or were you just saying that to placate me so that you could move in on her yourself?" What is with Luke and what the hell is he talking about?

"Luke, I told you to lay it all out on the line, yes. But I didn't know that Ana was your ex-girlfriend. Sometimes, you can't revisit the past and you are someone that she wants to remain in the past. She's not interested in reconnecting like you are." Did these guys forget that I am right here?

Luke tries leaning around Christian to see me. I don't know what he's seeing but he looks absolutely thunderous and then the real venom starts spilling from his voice. "Did you slut it up with him last night Ana? Is Grey here one of your tequila boys? Or is sleeping with him the condition for your acceptance into the program here?" What the FUCK?

"Luke, might I remind you that I was at the top of my class, I could have gone anywhere in the country, including John Hopkins and Mayo. So, I am not as worried about my position in the program as you ought to be. I'll knock you out and give your eyes a matching set of shiners." I've stepped around Christian and I'm looking at Luke and can't really understand what it was that I ever loved about him.

"Your father would be so disappointed in you. He wanted you to be great and to be with someone that makes you happy. He knew that you and I were happy together. He convinced me to come here and wait for you." I hear Christian scoff at his statements and I have to wonder what that was about.

"Luke, you and I were done the moment you convinced me you were going to propose and then called me a distraction and dumped me. There is no going back. You and I will never be. I don't trust you. I am not sure what my dad was thinking, but I'm sure that if he wanted us back together, he'd have said something before he passed away. And you talking about my father this way, knowing how close we were, just shows how little you really know about me anymore. Do and say what you want Luke, but there is no us anymore and there won't ever be." I try to stand a little straighter; I don't want him to see just how upset I am with his opinion on what my father would think of me.

"Your father knew what a slut you were. He knew about your drinking and a new man every weekend. He was ashamed of you and he'd be embarrassed by your behavior in his hospital." That brings the tears. Yep. He's probably right. What was I thinking kissing Christian in the elevator like that?

"Dr. Sawyer, I think you need to remember how you were accepted into the program here. As it stands now, you're on my service for the next two weeks. Go do post-op on our patient from this morning. I expect hourly updates from you personally, not one of your interns." With that, Christian wraps an arm around my shoulders and steers me around Luke and toward his office.

"He was wrong baby. He was wrong about everything?" Christian's voice is just above a whisper the entire walk down the hallway.

Christian's POV

I am going to pound Luke Sawyer. That jackass has slept his way through half the hospital and now he wants to claim my Ana. It's been less than 24 hours and I'm already thinking of her as mine. I don't think my infatuation with my wife was that fast. Damn it. I'm going to make sure he doesn't see the inside of an OR the entire time he's on my rotation.

I sit Ana down on the couch in my office when I get the door closed. She's silently weeping and that kills me.

Bending down to squat before her, resting my hand on her knee, I gently remind her, "Listen baby, you've got to ignore him. Luke is a bastard. I won't tell you what he's been like since he started here, but be careful with him. His days seem to be numbered. And for the record, Dr. Steele didn't persuade him to come here so that you could be together when you got here. This hospital was Luke's only option. Your father had to pull strings for him to get into the program. He was in the bottom half of his class and he didn't have any other offers when he graduated." I take a deep breath and choose my next words carefully. Tilting her head toward me I wipe her tears with my thumbs. "Your father was always proud of you. He spoke of you so often that I should have realized who you were when you introduced yourself last night. If I know your father like I think I do, he would have suggested a different program solely so you wouldn't be put in the position to become the amazing surgeon that I know you'll be while living in his shadow or now with his ghost. Having said that, I am so happy that you are here. Mom told me how hard it was to convince you to come to Seattle General and I'm so glad that you did."

She sniffles before responding. "He's right though. You were just a guy in the bar last night. I did pick you up after drinking tequila. I intended to never see you again after kicking you out this morning. My father would be so ashamed of me."

"I can't say if he would be or not. But are you really upset that you saw me today? Do you regret kissing me in the elevator?" Please say no.

"Last night I was just a girl in a bar. You were just a guy in a bar. It was uncomplicated. Now it's as complicated as it gets. I'm the intern that slept with her attending on the first day. Luke will make sure I'm known for nothing else if I don't give him what he wants. But to answer your question, no I'm not upset and I don't regret it." She gives me a small smile and it zaps me straight in my heart. What is it about this girl that draws me to her so?

"Have dinner with me tomorrow. I know that you're on the next 48 hours but we can go to the little Italian place down the street and you can bring your pager with you."

She gives me a sad smile and I know what's coming next. "I may not be upset seeing you or regretting what we've done, but I don't think it's wise to repeat any of it. I don't do relationships anymore. The way things ended with Luke and I, it just left a sour taste in my mouth. It's better to stick to casual encounters when the itch gets to be too much, and I don't repeat them. I probably shouldn't have kissed you in the elevator, but I don't regret it. I just can't give you anything more than last night."

I start to say something, but then her pager goes off and she's up and running out of my office before I can say anything else. I have to find a way to convince her to give us a chance. I know we could be amazing together, and not just in bed. I wonder if my mother could help me.

Ana's POV

Wednesday May 24th

I place my maroon Nikes in my locker and slam it shut. I've done more running in the last 48 hours than I ever have in my life. I'm ready to go home and sleep like the dead. We have the rest of today off and most of tomorrow before we report for a double shift tomorrow night.

"Hey Chica, you ready to head home?" How the hell is he so chipper? Oh right, he slept last night while I spent two hours trying to keep Mrs. Bentley alive while waiting on Dr. Bailey to finish her emergency appendectomy.

"Hell yes. I need to wash this day off me and get as far away from Luke as possible." I just cringe thinking about how he's been treating me since he found me in that elevator with Christian.

"Well let's get home. Kate was planning to go in late today so that she could ask us how our first shifts went."

The ride home is silent with Jose next to me and for that I am thankful. Upon entering the house, I am greeted by the smell of bacon and coffee. Thank you, sweet baby Jesus.

"Kate you're my savior." She's already pouring me a cup when we enter the kitchen.

"That bad?" She mocks me a little, but then narrows her eyes when she sees how chipper Jose looks compared to me.

"The medicine was great. However, finding out Luke is a third year resident at the same hospital wasn't. Also putting up with Luke telling everyone I was the great Raymond Steele's daughter wasn't so great either. Then, for the trifecta, Luke inferring that I only got into the program because I spread my legs for an attending wasn't fun either." Both Jose and Kate are looking at me like I've grown a second head.

"Annie, when did Luke say that?" Jose looks really concerned, and he should be. I imagine Luke will make my life hell on earth until I give in and get back together with him. But that won't be happening if the nurse's gossip is true- actually it won't be happening at all.

"Uh, when he caught me kissing Dr. Grey in the elevator only a few hours into our first shift." I try for nonchalance as I sip my coffee. Jose spits his out all over the counter though and looks at me with big bug eyes.

"You kissed Dr. McCharming? No wonder Luke became a douche after that." Jose looks contemplative for a minute. Chuckling, he then says, "You know, I think I'm going to call him McDouche. So wait, how did Luke know you kissed him? Oh Shit." Jose's slaps a hand over his mouth eyes wide. I'm guessing he's just putting together how well I know Christian.

"What am I missing?" Kate looks miffed being out of the loop.

"Shoeless porch guy is Dr. Grey. Holy Shit, Steele. Tell me is he as amazing as everyone says he is, although I heard he's the most celibate doctor at that hospital. How did this happen?" He's speaking so fast even Kate is having a hard time keeping up.

"Yes, the guy on the porch was Doctor Grey. I don't know much about him, but he was the doctor who operated on Daddy when the aneurism ruptured. He's Grace Grey's middle child making him Mia's older brother. And he dislikes Luke almost as much as I do, but I don't know why. Oh, and he's an amazing kisser." I pause to sip my coffee, and look at Jose. "Did you not hear me say that Luke saw me kissing Christian? I was supposed to have lunch with Grace Grey and instead she pawned me off on her son. You were there for that. Turns out, McCharming, is her son and when we got in the elevator the sexual tension was too much and I attacked the man. It was the most amazing kiss of my life. It was perfection until the elevator dinged and Luke saw us and went postal on my ass."

I snatch a piece of bacon and shove it in my mouth and wait for one of them to ask the next question. Kate beats Jose to it. "So, what exactly did Luke say when he saw you shoving your tongue down another doctor's throat?" There's something behind the tone of her voice that I don't like. Like she doesn't approve of me connecting with someone other than Luke. She has been his biggest supporter over the last year.

"First, he called me his girl. Second, he asked if I "slutted" it up with Christian the night before and called him one of my "Tequila boys". How Luke knew about the tequila and men I don't know." Actually, now I do when the flash of guilt crosses Kate's face, but she's quick to replace it with a neutral expression. "Then he asked if sleeping with an attending was a condition for my acceptance into the intern program. Finally, he proceeded to tell me I was a disgrace to my father and that he would be disappointed in me and find me as an embarrassment."

"Are you sure that's what Luke said Ana?" Why the hell is Kate defending him? "It just doesn't sound like him. He loves you so much."

"Yeah he loves me so much that he made sure everyone knew I was Raymond Steele's daughter and suggested to the Chief Resident that I was getting preferential treatment. One of Luke's interns, the bubble blonde Olivia, I overheard her talking to a nurse about how my dad supposedly paid the hospital to hold a spot for me before he died. That it was the only reason I was accepted. One of the other interns in the OB department, told Barney, the other surgical intern on mine and Jose's team, that I'm actually a genius and I'll cut everyone off at the kneecaps to win at all cost. That's partially true, but it was the way she told him. After she told him that I was Luke's long lost love. Already people are whispering behind my back and I've only been there two days. If I wasn't a Steele I'd have folded after an hour of the gossip and rumors. As it stands, I have a meeting appointment with the Chief of Surgery before the start of my shift tomorrow. I can't even imagine how that is going to go."

"Want me to kick his ass Annie?" God love Jose. He may not want to recognize he's gay and not actually in love with me, but I love him for wanting to protect me.

"No Jose. I just want a hot shower and 12 hours of sleep. That reminds me, I have set my alarm since I'm supposed to have dinner with my mother tonight."

"I can pick up a couple bottles and we can drink tequila and have a dance party. You might need it after a dinner with your mom." Jose looks at me sympathetically.

"I might take you up on that Jose. But I'm not sleeping with you." He'll tell me he knows, like always, but it won't stop him from trying when we polish off our fourth shot.

"I know Ana."

Chrsitian's POV

"Mom I might need your expert advice." We're having lunch in the hospital cafeteria and I have to tell her. I need her help.

"I met a girl a few days ago, we hit it off and slept together, before you say anything, hear me out. It's not something I'm entirely proud of, but she's an amazing woman. However, she's been burned by her last boyfriend and doesn't want a relationship. It also doesn't help that she works at the hospital and the ex who burned her also works here. He caught us kissing the other day and now he's trying to make our lives a living hell."

"Ah, so that explains why Dr. Sawyer wanted to know why there were no letters of recommendation in Ana's file. I tried to explain to him that her resume and transcripts spoke for themselves; she didn't need anyone else saying anything on her behalf. He didn't seem happy with that response and it wasn't but a few hours later that I heard a rumor that her father bought her a spot in the program before he died. I had to remind nurse Hannah, that if I believed every piece of gossip I heard then, I would think she's the one that caused the syphilis outbreak on the surgical floor last year. I didn't tell her that I was on the board and knew she was patient zero among the staff. That girl gets around as much as Luke does." I watch my mother, wondering how she knew it was Ana, take a sip of her bottle of water before she continues. "I can't tell you what to do, other than to not give up. Her father told me what happened to her, and it's her story to tell. I will say this though; Ray pulling those strings to get Luke into the program had nothing to do with Ana. He really thought she would accept Mayo's early offer. It took me three months to convince her to come here instead). I plan on turning her into the greatest pediatric surgeon on the west coast since, well me." She says with a smug grin and a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

I can't help but grin at my mother. "I really like her mom. It's been seven years and it's time I keep my promise and try to move on and love again. I want to try with her. I'll attempt to be patient. I just need her to say yes to one date. Then I can work my Grey charm."

"And charm you have my darling boy. By the way, did you know the new interns are calling you Dr. McCharming?"

"No I didn't, but I like it." My pager goes off and so I quickly place a kiss on my mother's cheek before heading toward the ER.

Ana's POV

Have I mentioned I hate dressing up for dinner? I mean its fun when it's a date or a night out with friends, but dinner with Carla Steele is always a formal affair and one must be dressed as such. So here I am about to walk into the Mile High Club dressed in a teal sleeveless lace A-line dress with matching Giuseppe Zanotti peep toe pumps. My hair is perfectly curled and my make-up is light and enhances my eyes. One must always be ready to do battle when dining with Carla Steele, and this is my armor.

Upon entering the restaurant, I let the hostess know who I'm meeting and I'm guided to a table in the middle of the about 50 others filled with elegantly dressed diners. Yes, the Steele must be seen. She just can't summon me for dinner at home like a normal person.

"Mother." I greet her with a kiss on her cheek as I sit in the chair the hostess has pulled out for me.

"Anastasia, dear. How are you?" She indicates the hostess send over the waiter while she goes back to looking at her menu.

I pick up my menu and start to peruse the selections before I answer. Hmm, filet mignon sounds amazing. "I am good mother. I finished my first 48 hour shift this morning. I go in tomorrow night for an overnight double shift."

Just then the waiter appears and my mother orders some bottle of red wine that I'm sure cost more than my shoes. "I heard a lot of things about your first few days." Ah the disapproval starts before the appetizers tonight.

"It was a busy couple days. I got to help Dr. Grey with a malnourished child that needed a bowel resection, and Dr. Taylor let me help him and Dr. Bailey with a valve replacement. I spent the rest of the time running tests and ensuring none of the patients on my resident's charts died." The waiter appears once again to present the wine to mother and pours us each a glass.

"I heard about the child. I also heard that you finally saw Luke. Did you really need to punch him?"

I take a sip of my wine and smile at the memory of my fist connecting with his perfect face. "Yes I did. And that happened at the banquet, he shouldn't have talked about daddy."

"Really Anastasia, this isn't the elementary school playground. You can't go around punching people that say things you don't like. Frankly, I am sure whatever Luke said wasn't that bad or that off base. You should really give him a chance again. You two were meant to be together. Plus the babies would be beautiful and I'd really like to be a grandmother in the next few years so that I can enjoy them before I get to old."

I nearly spit my wine all over the table. "Lose that idea real fast mother. I'm not having babies with anyone, anytime soon. I have to think of my career and a baby as an intern doesn't help with that. Plus, if you knew what he was saying you might not be so forgiving. He called me a slut and told me daddy would be disappointed with the way I choose male company."

"Well if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, Anastasia." What the hell?

"Excuse me, you think he was right to say that?"

"Honey you should be thankful that he's willing to forgive your behavior so that you two can get back together and live your happily ever after." She motions the waiter over and orders a chicken Caesar salad for the both of us, no croutons, light dressing.

"I wanted the steak." I cross my arms.

"I know what you want, but sometimes what we want isn't what is best for us. That's why I'm here to help you." Gag me. I don't need her help. She'd have me as a society wife like she is.

We spend the next 30 minutes talking about all kinds of different things concerning the hospital.

"Tell me. How are the other doctors treating you?"

"The established staff that knew before I started that I'm Raymond Steele's daughter are respectful and quick to share antidotes about Daddy. The ones that had sized me up as potential competition and then found out I'm his daughter assume I got the internship because I'm Raymond Steele's daughter. Thankfully Grace has been there with me and tries to set the record straight. She's quick to point out that it was her that pursued me and persuaded me to choose Seattle over Mayo or John Hopkins. In fact, she invited me to dinner next week at her house. She wants me to bring Kate and Jose so that we can get reacquainted with Mia and her boys." I take the last sip of my wine and prepare for what my mother will have to say about that. She's always had a thorn in her side where Grace Grey is concerned.

"Ah, the Greys, Seattle's first family. I hear Carrick's law firm is now the biggest in town. Elliot owns Grey Construction and has built some of the most innovative green skyscrapers downtown. Mia seems to love living off her trust fund waiting for Mr. Right to come along with his own trust fund to support her in the lifestyle she's grown accustom to. I wish you had met Christian at the banquet the other night. He's poised to be Chief of Surgery in five years. Word is he's been solely focused on the medicine because of his wife."

Wait did my mother say wife? Christian has a wife. What the hell, no one mentioned a wife. I try and think back to the night at Sam's Tavern and Christian never mentioned a wife. I'm going to kill the cheating Son of a Bitch, no offense to Grace Grey. That Bastard asked me to dinner and he's got a wife.

Oh yeah, I'm really going to need that tequila dance party with Jose tonight.


	3. Chapter 3: Tequila and Regrets

**A/N: So, a few things before you read this chapter. I have had a lot of messages and reviews about Ana and her behavior. This story is not like my others. While Christian and Ana are very much attracted to each other from the get go, they won't be getting together instantly in this story. Ana is a very flawed character in this story. She has been emotionally damaged and she needs a bit of healing before she can really do that. She has spent the last 5 years avoiding Luke and forming an emotional attachment to any man after that. While the whole story of what happened with Luke hasn't been reveal yet, there is more to the story.**

 **Ana is going to make mistakes, it's the only way for her to really grow. She may be a medical genius, but she's a mess everywhere else. You may not like some of the things in this chapter, but it had to happen this way. However, we aren't done with the awkward yet either.**

 **So before, you crucify me in the reviews, and send your private messages about how horrible Ana is, how she's throwing everything away, what a slut she, what you would have done, let me say this. I've never shied away from negative reviewers. You can say what you want. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I most likely won't finish reading the review if you start telling me how horrible I am and how I've ruined Ana. In this story, this is the journey she needs to take. If you want an instant brew love story, write it yourself, or read my first story A Steele Heart. This is a departure from my other stories. I want Ana to take a different journey in life, a different path to her true love. I only hope that each of you stick with me till the end.**

 **With that being said, I don't own FSoG or its characters. So here we go.**

 **Laters**

Grey Vitals

 **Chapter 3: Tequila and Regrets**

Ana's POV

That sorry, no good, cheating, lying, dirty bastard! "Have dinner with me Ana." Not no, but hell no! I'm glad I put the kibosh on McCharming before I got attached. The only thing men are good for is an orgasm, and sometimes they even fail at that. Luke did a lot. There is another bastard. Luke Sawyer is a douche of epic proportions. Every day he has found a way to corner me and demand a second chance. If I didn't hate him before, his need to tell everyone my personal business, his ineptitude to defend me against all the damn rumors going around cements his place in the Asshole Hall of Fame". At least he didn't tell anyone I slept with Christian. That truth getting around and for sure the rest of my peers will truly perceive me as getting preferential treatment.

The jealous bitches at that hospital don't understand. I'm a mother fucking God when it comes to research. I had 17 offers from hospitals around the country. Mayo gave me an offer before I even finished my second year of Med School. I was planning to go there, but Grace swept in with promises to allow me to focus on pediatrics in the hospital where my daddy learned everything he knew. That's what I want. I want to be the fixer of tiny humans. They won't disappoint you. They don't know what deception is and they won't screw you over.

Pulling up to my house, I'm glad that I only had the one glass of wine. Only Jose's promise of tequila kept me from drinking an entire bottle. I seriously need this. I've not stayed at home relaxing with my friends in a long time. I must admit that I was worried about whether Kate would actually make the move with Jose and me. She seemed to be pulling away the last semester, and then she got that offer in Boston. I thought she would take it, but in the end, she decided to come back to Seattle to work for her dad.

Walking up the cobblestone walkway to the front door, I can already hear the music pumping. "Jose. Kate" I call their names as I walk in the door, hoping to see them. Passing the empty living room and I finally find Jose in the kitchen cutting up limes. Ugh, he can't drink his tequila without it and a spritzer chaser. He baffles me sometimes. I swear Jose is the only Mexican in the world that can't handle his tequila like a man.

"Hey Chica, how did the dinner go with your mom?" I ignore his question and walk over to the waiting shot glasses, thankfully they've already been filled. There is a line of four, I skip the salt and quickly down two in succession. I don't want to be hungover and I know I need to drink some water after the wine. However, I plan for that tequila bottle to be empty before the end of the night.

I'm walking over to the fridge to grab a bottle of water when Jose probes again. "That bad, huh?"

"Yep. Like always. She's all on me about being a socialite wife. Why do I need to be a surgeon, when I can just open a general practice, find a husband and have 2.5 kids? She really jumped on the Luke train tonight too, just like Kate. Speaking of which, where is she?" It's not like her to miss a tequila dance party.

"She bailed. She had some new man on the hook to see. She was kind of shady about it too. She said she'd see us after our next shift ended." Jose just shrugs and then walks over to me. "It's just you and me tonight." He lifts his glass and waits for me to grab mine. "Salud!" Our glasses clink and then I down my third shot of the night.

Grabbing the bottle, I waltz to the living room. "Jose, if we're going to dance properly and alone tonight, we need better music than this." I pull up Pandora and find a Latin club mix station and press play and as soon as I do the sounds of Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee hits my ears.

" _Desposito_. I love this song." Jose's enthusiasm is infectious as he moves towards me so we can start in with a salsa. One thing my mother taught me growing up was how to dance and how to do it well in five-inch heels. Jose only makes it to the second verse before his hands are on my hips. The sway unstoppable. I'm feeling the buzz starting from the shots I had earlier, and already my hair is starting to stick to my neck.

Dancing with Jose has never been a challenge. The man can dance, and I love that he can keep up with me. For years as we've gone to the parties and clubs, he was always been willing to stick with me when I didn't want to take someone home. Tonight is no different. One song turns into two, and then three. By the end of Enrique Iglesias's _Subeme La Radio_ I'm in need of another shot. I grab the bottle from the coffee table where I left it, swigging a shot straight from the bottle. Jose is next to me when he takes the bottle from my hands and does the same, something he never does, meeting my gaze and holding it while the amber liquid slides down his throat. I watch his Adam's apple bob when he swallows and I lick my lips.

A mash up of Jennifer Lopez signing _Lambada/On the Floor_ is playing now and we move into a Lambada dance. The Lambada is known for the forbidden dance. Smiling, I remember the wrath I incurred from my mother when she caught me practicing it in the mirror with a pillow when I was 15. Jose is easy to move with. He keeps one hand on the small of my back, almost on my ass, the other is gripping mine firmly as he moves us around the room. The Lambada requires shaking of your hips and close pelvis to pelvis contact. His left knee is between my thighs just above my knees and he's bending me back in an arching motion, swinging me back and then upright in his arms once again. This song is nearly seven minutes long and I'm left breathless wishing it was Christian I was dancing with.

My whole body is covered with a sheen of sweat, Jose has taken off his shirt and is covered in his own layer of sweat. The man may be gay, and unable to admit it, but he is one fine looking specimen. I push him away and grab the bottle going for another drink. I'm feeling amazing right now, and I have to scold myself for wishing Christian was here. I can't understand this, I've never wanted a man a second time since Luke, and yet, I still want Christian again. Lying, cheating scumbag Christian.

Sean Paul's _No Lie_ is playing now and we continue our dancing. We are grinding each other and I'm surprised to feel Jose hard behind me. I can only wonder who it is he's thinking of. He wraps an arm around me and places his palm flat on my stomach, just above my pubic bone. He pulls me a little closer and then I feel his breath on my neck. "Annie." I tilt my neck just a little wondering what the heck is going on and then I feel it. His lips on my neck, sensually trailing kisses to my ear. "I've always wanted you."

Is he for real? I start to pull away, but he continues to hold me to him as we dance to the music. The song changes again and Enrique Iglesias's _Dirty Dancer_ comes on. If that isn't foreshadowing I don't know what is. I know Jose really doesn't want me, he just thinks he does. He can't handle me and I'm going to prove it. But first I need some more tequila. I reach for the bottle next to us and guzzle another two shots worth. Setting the bottle down, I turn in his arms and slam my lips to his. I kiss him in a punishing beat. I think of Christian and how pissed I am at him causing me to nip Jose's top lip, eliciting a moan from him. Holy Shit it feels like he's only gotten harder. I roam my hands over his sculpted abs. My left hand circles around his neck pulling him closer and the right travels down gripping his tight ass. The kiss continues with Jose a slave to my ministrations, I know I'm losing all inhibitions. I'm not even thinking of my friend anymore, I am solely focused on Christian and how much I want him still.

"Ana. Ana, I have to tell you something." Jose keeps trying to talk and I only want to silence him; he's ruining my image of Christian. "Ana, I want you, but I've never done this before." Okay that got my attention WTF?!

"What do you mean you've never done this before?" Please don't say what I think you're going to say, you're 26 for Christ's sake.

"I'm a virgin Ana. I've never been with a woman, and I want you to be the first." I can only stare at him, then I feel my stomach start to turn sour. Oh, no!

"I think I'm gonna be sick." And I am. I barf spectacularly all over my hardwood floors.

"Dios mio, Annie." He jumps back in disgust, and that's the last thing I remember.

xxxXXXxxx

I wake to the sun blaring through my curtains again. Shit I forgot to close the blinds last night. I don't even remember coming to bed. I remember dancing with Jose, he was shirtless and looking fine. We were dirty dancing I think and then it gets a little blurry. I hear a moan next to me and I turn to look and see Jose completely naked in the bed next to me. Shit Shit Holy Shit! How much did I drink?

I fail at trying to bite back a groan when I realize I'm just as naked. What the fuck did I do? I can't undo this. I remember dancing the lambada and wishing it was Christian with me, and then Jose was behind me grinding into... Oh fuck, I turned and kissed him. Jumping from the bed I rush to the bathroom and hop in the shower. I scrub every inch of myself as I try to recall the events after that kiss. I remember barfing, and then Jose cleaned me up. I took my own dress off and then I remember stripping out of my underwear when I waltzed into my bedroom. I wasn't falling down drunk last night. So why was Jose naked, I don't think we had sex. I certainly don't feel like we do.

I try and recall how he ended up naked in bed with me, the details are just out of my reach. I finish my shower and when I walk back into my room with my towel wrapped around me he is gone. Good. We'll talk about this later. I dress quickly in my favorite Levi jeans and a nirvana t-shirt before running downstairs. I walk to the fridge and find a note from Jose saying he was going into the hospital early and wouldn't need a ride. Well shit, now I can't talk to him before the shift.

Looking at my watch, I have about 5 hours before my shift starts. I note the grocery list on the side of the fridge and decide to take care of it. Grabbing my purse, I start to head for my car, but then I remember my phone is still in my bedroom. Heading up the stairs and back to my bedroom, I have to circle around the bed, to the side Jose was sleeping on. There I spot a few stains on the pillow. Someone was crying. What the? Was the sex that bad last night?

Shit, now I remember. How will I ever look at him the same way again? We didn't fuck last night. Mother fucker, he said he was a virgin and insensitive me decided to experiment with him. I'd never been with a virgin before and I was a bitch. I gave him a blow job, and he was only half way hard. I stopped and decided to go all the way, a pity fuck so he wouldn't end up the 40-year-old virgin, and he started crying. Apparently, my experiment worked, because he admitted he had been picturing the second-year resident, Boyce Fox, while we had been dancing. He broke down crying, and I did everything I could do to console him. He admitted he was gay, but I feel like shit for the way the evening ended.

On the plus side though, I didn't sleep with Jose. But why do I feel so full of regrets about last night? The only excuse I have is that I was hurting from the sting of finding out about Christian having a wife, and I wanted to chase away all my desires for him, but it was him I wanted all night. It was him I pictured myself kissing. Now I'm pissed again. Screw the shopping, I'm going to work.

Christian's POV

It's been over 48 hours since Ana walked out of my office. I really tried to get near her again but, she managed to stay on the Peds floor the rest of her shift. Looking at my watch, it's almost 3 in the afternoon,she's not scheduled to come in till 7 pm with the rest of the interns. So, imagine my surprise when I see her walk in the front door of the hospital. I expect her to take the elevator and I'm mildly shocked when she bypasses them for the stairwell. I race after her and make it to the stairs before she's a full flight up. She's whispering to herself, almost like she's berating herself, but I can't hear what she's saying.

She pauses on the second-floor landing allowing me to catch up with her in time to hear her admonishing herself, "Stupid, stupid, stupid. It's what you get Ana."

"Ana, are you okay?" She turns around to me and I see fire in her eyes. She's angry and suddenly I'm not sure it was wise to follow her into the stairwell.

"Am I alright? No, I most certainly am not alright. Everything is so not what I thought it would be coming here. I mean seriously, I thought I would be able to focus on the medicine here, learn from some of the best that had worked with my dad. Instead I run into the worst man in the world. When I rebuke him a second time, he stoops to spreading lies about me and suggesting I'm getting preferential treatment to everyone. This is the same man my mother and best friend want me to marry. I met an amazing man. I thought it would only be a one-time thing, but I couldn't get you out of my mind, and then I learn you have a wife. Then last night, I tried to sleep with Jose as a substitute for the man I really want. I turned him into a sick experiment and I hate myself for that. I hate that Luke is here and I really hate that you lied to me." She's in tears now, silently streaming down her cheeks.

I'm trying to comprehend all that she's said. She said I lied to her and she mentioned my wife. "Ana what did I lie to you about?" I don't understand.

"Seriously? You're wife, you idiot! You didn't tell me you were married." Huh, how did she not know about Leila? Wait she thinks Leila is alive.

"Ana, I didn't lie to you. I might not have mention Leila," she interrupts me.

"Oh, so she has a name. I'm sure she'd love to know what a homewrecker I am." She's looking down right venomous right now.

"Leila died nearly seven years ago Ana. I've been a widow since she died of cancer. She's the reason I created the drug I did. I didn't want anyone else to die from the same tumors she did." Shit, I've not talked about Leila and my pursuit of ta cure in years. Even in all the interviews I did, I kept it focused on the medicine.

"You're not married?" She's wiping the tears from her face now. "You aren't lying to me just get me back into bed, are you?"

"No Anastasia, that's not my style. I've not been with a woman since her death till you." I hear a door open above us, but I'm too distracted by the rest of her confession.

"Wait did you say you slept with Jose last night?" Before she can answer we hear a thunderous voice above us roar to life.

"You told him?" And there is Jose on the stairs above us, staring at us, shocked and appalled.

"No Jose, not really. I was rambling. Please you have to believe me. I wanted to talk to you and you left before I could this morning."

"Well yeah I left. I was mad at myself for not remembering losing my virginity last night and didn't know what to do or say." Holy shit, did the boy just say he was a virgin?

"Jose, we didn't have sex last night. Do you not remember? You started crying." Ana says softly trying to calm him down, but I think she's only upsetting him more.

"That really happened. Oh God. We never speak of this again Grey or I will tell everyone how you were unceremoniously kicked out of our house before you could even put your shoes on." It's not much of a threat, but I play along.

"Sure thing Dr. Rodriguez, I won't say anything." I wait until he walks out the second-floor door before turning to Ana. "What the hell happened last night?"

"I was forced to go to dinner with my mother and endure her pushing for me to become a suburban housewife. When I started to praise your mother, she got a little venomous and then proceeded to put down every member of your family, including letting me know that you were married. Then she tried to convince me that I was wrong about the things that were going on with Luke and I needed to give him another chance. I went home and Jose helped me reclaim my sanity with a bottle of tequila. That's all I'm ever going to say about last night ever again. Last night was Vegas. You weren't there so you can't know. I owe Jose that much." She truly looks remorseful and I only hope some of that regret is for her assumptions about me.

"So, are you and I good?" She looks up at me and simply nods, "Then how about dinner tomorrow night?"

"As much as I would like that, and I really would, I need to brush up on my surgical layouts before Dr. Morgan's whipple procedure on Monday. The only free time I have this weekend is being spent at your mother's on Sunday for dinner."

That brings a smile to my face. "Wanna be my date?"

"Sorry, but I'm going with Kate and Jose. I'm working a double on Monday, but I'm off on Tuesday." She gives me a shy smile before she proceeds to bite her bottom lip.

I groan, "Ana if you keep biting that lip, I'm going to want to do that myself."

She instantly releases her lip but what she says next was unexpected, but then again everything about her is unexpected. "Then do it."

"Fuck" is the only word racing through my mind as I attack her mouth groaning when I taste her sweet vanilla lip gloss. I waste no time taking her lip between my teeth. She moans with the sting of the bite, and I'm quick to sooth her with my tongue. Her hands are thrusts in my hair tugging and I can't get enough. She opens her soft lips wider allowing me to delve into her and she's all I can think of. Kissing her is like nothing else in this world.

Just then I hear the door open behind us again, followed by a gasp. "Oh my." We pull apart and when we see who interrupted us, I can't hold back my groan of frustration, of all the women to walk in on us it had to be the She-Wolf.

"Sorry for interrupting Dr. Grey. Dr. Steele it's nice to finally meet you." She holds her hand out to Ana, who looks perplexed.

"I'm sorry you have me at a disadvantage." Oh no Ana, don't ever let her know that. She'll take every advantage she can. Gia Matteo is a succubus and she will drain your life force so that she can come out on top.

"Dr. Gia Matteo, Ortho Attending. I've heard so many things about you." I don't like the way she sneers at Ana at all.

"I wish I could say the same." She turns to me then, "I have to get going. I want to look at a few things before evening rounds." With that she is out of the door.

"Well, well, well. I guess the rumors are true. She did sleep her way into the program, that's more believable than her daddy buying her spot." I see red.

"She got into this program because she deserved it. Remember that you're only still here because the hospital didn't want a lawsuit after the Phelps situation. I have somewhere to be, and if you're smart Gia, you'll keep what you just saw to yourself. You're an attending now. You wouldn't want to wind up on the wrong side of a complaint this time." I leave her standing in the stairwell, determined to find Anastasia. We'll need to either file the paperwork with HR or we're going to have to keep our distance from each other at work to avoid a violation of hospital policy. Maybe I can get Dr. Jones to talk to her.

I take the stairs to the sixth floor while I formulate a plan, grinning to myself at the sheer genius of it.


	4. Ch 4: Seriously, Dinner with old friends

**A/N: Thank you all for the amazing words in your reviews. Please keep them coming. I love hearing what everyone is thinking and their theories on what will happen.**

 **Most of you read my other stories, so you know this from A Steele Love's update on Monday. There will be no A Submissive Beginning update on Friday, and A Steele Love will not update on Monday. I will return on Wednesday next week with another chapter of Grey Vitals. My family and I are going on our first ever planned vacation. I've told you before, we are a military family. My husband left active service this spring and joined the ready reserve, and in doing so, we've been able to plan a vacation for the first time in 14 years. We've tried to do this before, even bought out tickets to Disney Land three years ago, but missions and training exercises pop up and plans get cancelled. Not this year. I'm taking my kids to see my brother in Texas and then spending a few days in Galveston at the beach soaking up some rays and burying my toes in the sand.**

 **If you haven't found me already, I'm on Facebook under Steele Heart. The link is in my bio, as well as the link for my Pinterest. Speaking of which, Grey Vitals has an updated board. Yeah! Seriously, I love interacting and talking to you all. I'm in several of the groups on Facebook, under my author name as well as my personal name.**

 **As always, I don't own FSOG, I love molding these characters into what I want though.**

 **Laters**

 **Grey Vitals**

Chapter 4: Seriously, Dinner with Old Friends

Ana's POV

How I've made it through the rest of my long ass shift at work I will never know. When Jose and I came home, Kate was still gone from the house and we didn't see her until this morning. We asked where she had been and her only response was that not everyone lives at the hospital. She retreated to her room and hasn't rejoined us yet. If we don't leave in the next ten minutes, we will be late for dinner with the Greys.

During our overnight on Thursday, when Jose and I had a lull between patients, we sat down and had a heart to heart. While he's pissed at me for saying anything to Christian, he now knows and understands I wasn't specific and that I never said his name when I was talking, just giving Christian insight into my state of mind. Jose knows I don't blame him for his reaction though. I'm all kinds of ashamed of myself for my behavior that night after dinner with my mother, and if Jose ever knew that I was trying to see how far he'd go before admitting how he really felt, he might never talk to me again. Coincidentally, Jose decided to take a chance that paid off. He now has a date with Dr. Fox on Tuesday as well. So, something good did come out of all of our drama for him.

"Chica, if she doesn't hurry her ass up I'm going to shove her beloved Jimmy Choo's down her throat." Jose has not been happy with Kate's attitude since she returned to the house. I'm sure she was with a man, but Jose thinks there is more to it than that. I'm not sure what it is. So many things are different with her in the last year. I thought as sure as hell that she would take the internship in Boston. I was shocked but excited when just a month before graduation she proclaimed to be making the move with us to Seattle. She had decided to stick to her deal with her father and work for Kavanagh Media. She was happier about it than I expected her to be as well. She had been giving us a "Me against the world" attitude for the entirety of our final year and then she does a complete one-eighty.

"She'll be driving herself if she doesn't hurry up. Grace doesn't like tardiness and I promised not to be late." As it is, I'm fidgeting with my dress wondering what Christian will think of it. My red sleeveless Adrianna Papell floral and lace dress matches the Steve Madden Carson suede heels perfectly. While I normally don't wear the dresses my mother insists on purchasing for me when I am guilted into shopping with her, but this is my dinner at my mentor, Grace Grey's house we're talking about.

"I don't know what her problem is Ana, but we're sitting down when we get home tonight and talking this shit out. I know she's upset that we aren't home every night, but damn. She makes plans to hang with us and then bails and doesn't answer her phone. She comes in doing the walk of shame this morning and completely ignores us. There is something going on with her and I'm going to find out what it is." Jose is on a rampage. All morning he's stomped around the house, slamming doors, just hoping to piss Kate off enough to come out and talk to us.

"We'll talk to her Jose, don't worry." Looking at my watch once again I walk to the entry way, my heels clicking on the hardwood floors and grab my clutch and keys. Looking over my hair one more time in the mirror, Jose walks behind me and braces both of his hands on my shoulders.

"He's not going to be able to take his eyes off you tonight. Your hair looks great like this by the way, although you should run upstairs and grab your Hex Urban Decay lipstick. It'll look better than the nude gloss you're wearing right now, and keep him focused on your lips all night. You want him thinking about the last time you were between the sheets. He's going to be panting for you by the end of the night." I smile at Jose and then kick my heels off so that I can race up the stairs to my bathroom to change lipsticks.

One of the things I love about this house is that I have my own private bathroom. I have a large old style claw foot tub big enough for two and I love soaking in it after a long shift. Grabbing the lipstick Jose told me to use, I apply the red shade that is dark enough to not wash my pale skin out, yet matches my dress and shoes perfectly. Once I've blotted to ensure there will be no smudging tonight, I see that Jose was entirely right. I give myself the once over again. My hair is in a braided up-do that Jose helped with. He put my part on the right side and partially French braided it down the side. The braid ends in an elaborate and loose bun at the nape of my neck. I'm wearing simple pearl studs and a single strand pearl necklace; birthday gifts from my father for my sixteenth birthday. It's been almost two years since he's passed and it's just starting not to be a struggle to think about him without tearing up.

I exit the bathroom and walk out my bathroom door, just in time to see Kate walk out of the other bathroom finally. _Seriously?!_ My jaw is on the floor. Kate is a classical beauty. She's never had to try to get the attention of a man, they just are drawn to her. Tonight though, she's dressed to kill. In a black La Perla Shape Allure dress, she leaves little to the imagination. The thin spaghetti straps are the only thing holding it up. While I wear a small C cup, Kate is a full D cup, and she looks ready to pop out of it. There are illusion side panel cut outs covered in lace with a nude silk underneath. The dress hugs her curves and while the silk of the dress ends about four inches above her knees, the lace panel on the bottom grazes the knees themselves. She's pulled her hair back into a sleek ponytail at the crown of her head. Her favorite one carat diamond earrings she received from her parents for graduation are the only jewelry she is wearing. She's completed the entire outfit with her black "Oh So Kate" Christian Louboutin red soled heels.

"Wow, Kate, you look amazing!" I can't believe that this is what she's going to wear to the Grey's home. I know she remembers what Grace is like. I told her last week when I explained that Grace doesn't do casual dinners.

"Thank Ana, you look cute, too." There is something in the way she says it that makes me believe she's not really that sincere in her statement.

"Thanks. We've got to get going, or we're going to be late." I walk past her and meet Jose at the bottom of the stairs. Putting my heels back on we head to my car.

"Actually, you guys, I'm not sure how long I'm going to be able to stay, so I'm going to drive myself." Kate walks past us in the driveway and down to her white Mercedes parked on the street.

"Okay, I'm done dancing around this issue." Jose is looking over the top of my car at me. "There is something wrong with that bitch. She's hiding something."

I shake my head at Jose and click the key fob to unlock the doors. We spend the entire 25 minute car ride over to Grace's house talking about Kate and trying to figure out what the hell her problem is. The only thing we can come up with is, a man. It's always a man with Kate.

Here is the one fundamental difference with Kate and me. While I go to the bars and meet a guy and take him home for a night about once every other month, Kate has a new boyfriend every two or three weeks. She believes that because she doesn't sleep with them all on the first date or after she's met them in the bar, but gives them each three official dates before she goes to bed and then kicks them to the curb, she's not a slut like me. While I've slept with about twenty men in the five years since Luke and I broke up, she's sleep with at least fifty. But, to her, because she dates them for a bit, I'm a slut, and she isn't.

Kate also lost her virginity at the age of 15 at one of her brother's keggers while their parents were out of town to a boy whose name she still can't remember to this day. I lost mine to Luke three months _after_ our first date. But, umm ok, I'm the slut, not her, _seriously?!_. Yeah, if I know Kate, her issues right now all boil down to a man, but if history is going to repeat itself, she will dump him by next week. We'll come home from the hospital and find her on the couch binge watching Grey's Anatomy with _my_ tub of Ben and Jerry's in her ugly pink fleece pajamas. She'll hate on all men in general for three days and then she will skip on out to the newest bar, and find a new "boyfriend".

Following the GPS instructions, we pull up to a house I only remember in the abstract when it comes to my childhood. My mother really hated when we came over here and she hated when I had sleepovers with Mia. Mom just hates Grace Grey and I've never understood why.

Jose let's out a whistle as he takes in the old white colonial style three story home. The black shutters flanking each of the windows are in deep contrast to the pristine white stucco exterior. We park in the rounded drive and exit the car. "This is some home Ana. What did you say Dr. Grey's husband did?"

"Mr. Grey is a lawyer at Grey, Clayton, and Associates. He's the managing partner. He's one of the top litigators in Seattle. Factor in Grace and her salary as the head of the Pediatrics department at the top hospital in the Greater Seattle area; they make a pretty good living. They can afford this and more. We'll be there one day. That's why we're working our asses off. We will be the top surgeons in our class. We've got a year before we take our board exams. Then at the end of our residency we'll pass the oral exams. In five years we will be board certified surgeons at one of the top hospitals in the country. We'll apply for fellowships and we might end up somewhere else, but we'll come home to Seattle. We'll always come home." I pat Jose on the shoulder as we reach the red front door. It's in direct contrast of the rest of the house.

Before we can even knock, the front door opens and there is Grace standing in the foyer waiting on us. "Ana, Jose. I'm so happy you could make it. Where is Katherine?" I grimace. I hadn't noticed that her car wasn't here yet when we pulled up.

"She said she was driving herself because she didn't know how long she would be able to stay, Dr. Grey." Jose's formal use of Grace's name earns him a stare that could make even my mother cower.

"Jose, we are not at the hospital. In my home, I am Grace. You are family here. Now let me introduce you to my husband and my children." I snicker as she wraps her arm around Jose and directs him into the sitting room, knowing that her children are in fact grown adults, all of them my age or older.

Following the two of them into the sitting room, I take in Grace's elegant and sophisticated style. She's wearing a navy, scoop neck A-line dress with a tulle overlay on the skirt featuring a lace applique along the hem with sequins. Her honey blonde chin length bob is brushed sleek without a hair out of place. When we reach the room, I see two men sitting on a love seat with their backs to us. Mia is on another love seat with another guy who looks vaguely familiar.

"Everyone," Grace calls the attention of those in the room. "This is Jose Rodriguez. He's one of the talented new interns at Seattle General." She pulls Jose further into the room and when I walk around the couch I see exactly who is sitting on the love seat. Christian looks at me like I'm the last drink of water in the Sahara, starting at my heels and working his way up. I try not to stare at him in his black slacks and light grey button up dress shirt. His shirt is open at the collar with the top two buttons undone. His stare is intense and I barely hear Grace when she starts the introductions.

"Jose, this is my husband Carrick, and you know my youngest son, Christian." She waves her hand out in Carrick's direction while making the introductions. Jose proceeds to shake hands when introduced to Carrick, but he just nods his head when he looks at Christian.

Biting my lip, I try to turn my attention to Mia and who I assume is actually Elliot. It's been so long since I've seen him that I don't remember what he looks like. "And this is my daughter, Mia, she's your age Jose." Oh, Grace you're barking up the wrong tree with Jose. Thankfully he realizes this now. "Finally, this is my eldest, Elliot." Jose shakes each of their hands as well and then takes a seat next to Elliot.

"Ana, I hope you remember everyone. You all should remember Ray Steele's daughter, Ana." I go to hold my hand out to Carrick, but he engulfs me in a tight hug.

"We've missed you over the years Ana. The place wasn't the same without you. You should know that we're quite proud of you. I heard that my lovely wife here persuaded you to turn down an early offer from the Mayo Clinic."

"She did and I did. I interned at Mayo between my second and third year and was offered a staff internship upon graduation. I was also in the fortunate position to have been offered program spots at John Hopkins, Bethesda Naval Hospital, The Cleveland Clinic, and the USC Medical Center. Grace, here, flew out to Cambridge in March and convinced me that I would get the best pediatrics training at Seattle General. It also helped that this is home." I don't regret my decision to turn down any of those other hospitals. I could have easily selected Cleveland Clinic, Jose was offered a position there too, but this felt like the right fit. This is where Daddy trained.

"Mia, I'm sure that you remember playing with Ana. You two were thick as thieves. We used to call you girls the three musketeers anytime you were with Katherine." Grace pauses for a minute and I know that she must be thinking the same thing that I am. Where the hell is Kate?

"I'm going to call her real quick and see where she is. If you'll just excuse me." I start to walk to the foyer to call Kate, but I'm interrupted when the doorbell rings. Before I can say anything, a young woman dressed in a pair of grey slacks and a white button down answers the door. As soon as the door opens in walks Kate, with Luke. _Seriously?!_ What the fuck is he doing here? And why the hell did she bring him? Oh God, Christian is going to go nuts when he sees him. Shit. Nothing I can do now.

"Katherine!" Grace sees Kate standing just inside the door. "How wonderful to see you again, darling. Lucas, I wasn't expecting you here." She's looking a little pointedly at Luke, and I must say I take immense pleasure in watching him squirm a bit.

"Katie here invited me. She and I go way back to our days at Columbia, as well as with Ana and Jose. We were all really close until I graduated and went to Yale." Luke is wearing a plain black suit, somewhat snug and ill fitting. His tie looks generic and is plain black as well.

"Well, nonetheless, welcome. Let me introduce you to my family, they're just inside the sitting room." She points to the room where everyone else is and waits for them to walk in. Grace settles beside me as we follow them in, "Did you know he was coming with her?"

"Absolutely not! And I have no idea what she's trying to pull. I've not been able to speak more than five words to Kate in a week. She's been team Luke for a year now, and she wasn't entirely happy about the idea of me starting a relationship with Christian." At that Grace raises an eyebrow.

"I'll tell you more over lunch tomorrow, but I tried to fight the inevitable. So, I have a date with Christian on Tuesday. My first real date since Luke dumped me in the middle of the dining room at my father's country club." I feel my cheeks heat with embarrassment.

"Don't worry dear. I'll take care of this." Grace steps in front of me to start with the introductions to Luke. I watch Carrick give Luke somewhat of an evil eye when he shakes his hand, and it makes me wonder how much he already knows.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Grey." Carrick doesn't correct him on the way to address him and when he responds I try to hide my snicker. "Well you weren't who I was expecting to eat dinner with tonight, but I guess that you'll do."

Christian looks at me intensely as I bite my lower lip. He closes his eyes and when he reopens them they've changed from their usual light silver to a dark stormy grey. Holy shit! He's so freaking turned on. He makes his excuses to everyone for a moment and pulls me out of the room.

Grabbing me by my elbow, he steers me into what I assume is Carrick's study judging by the oversized desk and the tall shelves filled with what appears to be law books. As soon as the door is closed, his mouth is on mine. His kiss is one of urgency and possession. He's staking a claim. His tongue strokes along mine and I moan into him. "Do you have any idea what it does to me to see you bite those luscious lips?" His question must be rhetorical because he continues the kiss as soon as he finished asking me.

I don't know how long we continue in the frenzied manner before we calm and his lips move from my lips; sweetly kissing a pattern down my jaw and to my neck. "You look beautiful Anastasia."

"Thank you, Christian. You look pretty damn good yourself." At this moment, I have the random thought that I'm really glad Jose makes me buy the good make-up because my lipstick would have been smeared all over our faces if not. "I want you to know, I had no idea that Luke would be here. I'm not entirely sure what Kate is doing bringing him here."

"I didn't think you knew. I wonder what he is up to though. You should know that I intend to take you on the best damn date on Tuesday." His smile is infectious and I really can't wait now.

"I'm looking forward to it. Any specific way I should dress?" I'd hate to put on my jeans and converse and he take me to some place fancy like The Mile High club.

"Dress? Not too casual, but cocktail isn't necessary." Good, that gives me plenty options to choose from. One of the few good things about being in the same city as my mother is that she has a strict "three wear rule". A proper society lady doesn't wear the same dress more than three times, so she is constantly shopping for me. When we moved into the house, half the closet was stocked with new clothes; she even had a moment of being nice and provided me with a few new pairs of my favorite Lucky Brand jeans.

"I can do that. We should get back out there. There is no telling what they think we're doing once I disappeared with you." His smile gets even bigger and I know he's thinking about what we were doing and what we could have been doing.

"Not nearly everything I would like to do to you Anastasia." Yep I was right. The husky baritone of his voice is like a direct line to my core. "However, with Luke here, we should probably go to HR tomorrow and fill out a declaration of intent form."

A declaration of what? I know my brow is furrowed when I ask, "What is a declaration of intent?"

"Over the last four years there have been a few instances of romance at the hospital. There have been some complaints, and after a young intern was ostracized by her peers last year, the hospital implemented a new policy. Any two people employed at the hospital must sign a form declaring their intent to date. There are a few rules and part of the reasoning of the form is to stop sexual harassment claims before they can start. Once the form is filed, you and I won't be able to work with each other directly unsupervised. There will need to be at least one other resident assigned to all cases we work together on. They also made up a document requiring us to promise not to get it on in the on-call room, but really that's all they get used for most of the time. Some of the nurses and other doctors are quite fond of them." _Seriously?!_ I sleep in those on-call rooms. I don't know what it is, but there is something about the last part of that statement that unnerves me a fraction.

"Okay, I have rounds at seven in the morning. I can meet you in HR at 9 AM. Will that work?" His sexy smirk only makes me smile as well.

"That works perfectly. Come on, we better join the rest of them before my mother sends out a search party." He places one more kiss softly on my lips before he pulls away and opens the solid wood hand crafted study door.

We follow the sound of conversation and join everyone in the dining room. Unfortunately, when I see the way everyone is seated around the long rectangular mahogany table, I sigh to myself. Carrick is at one end, and Grace at the other. There are three chairs on one side, with Mia to the direct left of Carrick, Jose is next to her, and Elliot is to Grace's right. Next to Grace is an empty seat then Luke and Kate, and another empty seat to Carrick's right. I move to take the empty chair beside Carrick but Kate stops me, "I thought you would want to sit next to Grace, Ana. I thought that I Christian could sit here so that he and I could get to know each other again." I see Luke sneer at Christian and vow to make it through this dinner and completely ignore him. I don't know what game Kate is trying to pull, but I intend to find out, if I have to stay up all night and wait for her to get home.

Taking my seat next to Grace I draw her into a conversation about a patient we had last week. The little girl had a regenerating benign tumor on her liver, and we successfully did a liver transplant with a piece of her father's liver. She should be able to live normally now. She'd been jaundice and was on the edge of liver failure. When they came to us, they told us that they usually went to Mercy West, but they had operated on her three times to remove the tumors; telling them that since it wasn't cancer, there wasn't really more they could do. Grace was furious. She would have recommended the transplant when they found the tumor the second time.

On more than one occasion Luke tries to get my attention and engage me in conversation, but I keep ignoring him. I talk to Elliot some about the Seahawks' prospects this season, and then he invites me to join him in his family's box seats sometime. I start to tell him that I was dating his brother when I feel a hand on my thigh. _Seriously?!_ I look to my left, with my fork gripped tightly in my right hand.

"What are you doing?" I hiss in a barely audible tone trying to avoid attracting attention from the table. Luke only smirks and squeezes a little tighter before leaning into whisper in my ear.

"I'm only trying to remind you of what we use to have." I stare at him with the Steele glare I learned from my father.

"Remove your hand now before I make you regret coming here." He smirks at me and then starts to slide his hand higher. I move quickly and stab his hand with my fork causing him to yank his hand away and yelp.

"Luke what the hell is your problem?" Jose looks at me and I'm about to tell him what Luke was doing when Luke angrily answers.

"I was trying to talk to Ana and she stabbed me with a fork."

"You were feeling me up on my leg and refused to remove your hand when I asked you to." I cross my arms and I'm about to stand and make my excuses to leave when I see both Carrick and Christian getting out of their chairs.

I take stock of everyone around me. Mia is trying to hide her giggle behind her napkin, Jose looks ready to slash Luke's tires Carrie Underwood style, Elliot is quick to jump up and run around the table. Grace is shaking her head in disappointment, and Kate is staring at me like I was the one that was committing sexual assault on another. I see Christian yank Luke out of his chair, but Elliot pulls him back before he can do anything. Carrick however grips Luke by the arms and starts to pull him to the door.

"Son, I suggest you leave right now. Anastasia can call the police and report you for sexual assault if she wants to. I suggest you leave without a fuss if you don't want that to happen. Furthermore, I should warn you I am her personal attorney and if need be, I will obtain a no contact order for her against you. I should also remind you that if you hold this incident against her at the hospital it will be grounds for a sexual harassment suit." With that Carrick shoves Luke out the door and slams it shut. He slaps his hands together like he's shaking the dust off. "I do love taking the trash out for my wife." He comes back into the dining room grinning and walks to Grace kissing her soundly before proceeding back to his chair.

I have lost my appetite entirely and I want to go home. Kate suddenly throws her napkin on the table before standing, "Grace it was lovely of you to invite us here tonight. I'm sorry that some of us have ruined your evening, but I have to get home. I have an early meeting in the morning with one of our on-air teams." She looks at me disgusted when she talks about ruined nights and I just wonder what it is that I have done to her. No worries, I'll corner her when I get home tonight. "Christian, it was lovely to see you again. I would love it if you and I could have dinner sometime." She bats her eyelashes at him and twirls a strand of her hair, a signature Kate Kavanagh move.

"No thanks, Katherine. But I have plans Tuesday night with Ana and I'm a one woman kind of guy." I watch the satisfied smirk cross his face and then hear Elliot proclaiming he knew it.

"What?" Kate turns and looks at me and then questions, "I thought you weren't planning to date. You haven't dated anyone since Luke."

"If you had come home last night or talked to me at all today when you did show up, you would know that Christian asked me out on Thursday and I said yes. You were right last week. It's time I got over how Luke humiliated me and move on." I cross my arms and smile to myself when I feel Christian next to me placing his arm around my waist, his right hand resting on my hip.

"Oh get over it Ana. What Luke did wasn't that bad. So he didn't propose like you thought he would. You dumped him when he was just trying to tell you that he wanted to focus on his studies at Yale." _Seriously?!_ Now I'm fuming and wonder where the hell she got this story. I hate that this is happening in Grace's dining room in front of all these people and that I can't tell Christian this privately. I really hate the fact that I feel like crying thinking about that night.

"You are supposed to be my best friend Kate, and that means that you should know what happened. I told you. He had been dropping hints for months to my parents, he even asked my dad for my hand. He took me to Daddy's country club two nights after his graduation. We had a lovely dinner and talked about what we planned to do when I joined him at Yale after our graduation, then he ordered a bottle of champagne. I remember his phone going off and then suddenly he got stiff and waited for the champagne to be poured before dropping the bomb on me like I was starring in the remake of Legally Blonde. While Luke sipped his champagne, he showered me with compliments and I just knew he was about to get down on one knee. But before I knew it, he was telling me that as much as he thought he loved me, I would be distraction to his career and he needed to be able to be free to do what he wants without worrying about me still at Columbia. Then he stood up, dropped some cash on the table and told me good luck in life and walked away. I had to finish paying the bill because he didn't leave enough money, and then I had to call a cab to take me home, because he took the car service dad had gotten us for the night. Three days later his Facebook was tagged with pictures of him kissing that big chested bimbo from our intro to economics class. I didn't dump him." I am fuming and I don't know what to do. Kate is not the same girl that I went to school with.

Christian squeezes my hip and tilts his head to another room. Stunned, I follow him out and hear Jose talking to everyone and then he's rushing in behind us.

"Ana let's go. Kate won't be back at the house tonight. I don't know what she was trying to pull, but I'll figure it out. Come on. I'll drive." Christian doesn't release me as he and Jose guide me out toward the door.

"Jose, I'm going to have Ana ride with me. We'll be right behind you." I think I'm in a bit of shock. I just can't believe Kate.

Christian helps me into the car, securing my seatbelt before he climbs in and we start toward my home. I sit in his passenger seat the whole way home replaying the evening in my mind. Oh no! "Christian, I didn't apologize to your family for the scene I created before we left."

"Ana, my parents will understand. If you feel you need to, you can talk to mom tomorrow at work." His reply is short and I know he's right.

For the last year Kate has sung Luke's praises and I have no idea why. She helped me when I cried my eyes out for two weeks after Luke dumped me. She knew what happened, I told her and Jose. She's the one that started taking me to the clubs and introducing me to other guys. Then, before our last year at Harvard, she comes back from Seattle visiting her family and telling me I should look him up and talk to him. She swore that she knew I was still in love with him and one conversation with him would let us pick up right where we left off. Maybe she ran into him?

None of it makes sense. She dressed to kill tonight and I thought as sure as the world was round, she had brought him as her date. She wouldn't have told me to give him another chance if that were the case. So why was she dressed to fuck?

We're just pulling back into the house when it dawns on me. She wanted Christian tonight. She must have set up the seating arrangement. She looked pissed when he turned her down as well. Kate Kavanagh has never been turned down before. Adding insult to injury, he turned her down for me. I suddenly feel like I'm losing my best friend.

"Come on Ana, let's get you in a bath and then to bed. We have to be at the hospital early in the morning and will need to stop at my place so that I can change before we go in." I nod at Christian and mull over his words, and then smile when I realize he's planning to sleepover with me tonight. This shitty night just took a turn for the better.


	5. Ch 5: Revenge is best servedAAHHHHH!

**A/N: Seriously, you guys! 55 reviews last chapter, and only one Negative Nelly Anonymous reviewer. Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement. I'm glad that everyone seems excited with where this story is going. Unlike my other two stories though, Ana is a very flawed character in this one. She will be growing emotionally. It will be a slow process. However, this isn't a cheat story; not where Christian and Ana are concerned. This also isn't a suspenseful story either. There may be a few questions that will pop up and won't be answered till a few chapters later, like why does Carla hate Grace Grey, and what did that text message say to Luke before he was supposed to propose to Ana? This is a very drama filled story though. A little more humor than the others as well, at least I hope.**

 **I've had a few ask where Ana's "Christina" is in this story. Ana will meet her person very soon. The next chapter will be very hospital oriented. We won't get to the date until the chapter after that. Just a warning.**

 **On a personal note, thanks for all the well wishes for our family vacation. We had an amazing time, and while I didn't sip any margaritas on the beach (I did have my kids with me), it was relaxing beyond belief. We rode a ferry, we saw dolphins, I conquered my fear of heights and rode a Ferris wheel with both of my children. Seriously the view of the ocean from the top, with the city lights behind, was one of my favorite photos I'd taken. We wrote our name in the sand, and collected lots of seashells. This was all after spending two days with my brother and his wife. We had not seen them since my father's death over two years ago. It was a perfect two days in Dallas and my daughter cried when we had to leave.**

 **With that being said, I am recharged and ready to continue my writings. Schools start in just over two weeks. I'm hoping to finish A Submissive Beginning before September. I have a couple of plot bunnies and I want to get cracking on one particular story. It's an AU Ana and Christian, with a twist on a personal moment from my life over the summer.**

 **Once again, thank you for sticking with this story. Thank you for sticking with me. Nearly 500 of you follow me as an author and just over 250 of you have favorited me. You all are what keeps me writing. While I started writing and posting because I was stuck in a bed with an out of whack back, it's because of you that I have continued. So, thank you.**

 **Shout out to Gate Park, best Beta ever. There is a "Back-Door" line in the story, totally her idea, and it was brilliant. Thanks girl.**

 **I Don't Own FSoG.**

 **Laters**

 **Grey Vitals**

 **Chapter 5: Revenge is best served, Ahhhh…..**

Christian's POV

"Ana, you ready to get out of the tub?" When we returned to her home, I immediately brought her to her room and proceeded to fill the tub in her en suite bathroom. I even managed to find a few candles under her sink and lit them. She was so quiet and distraught, standing motionless, almost child-like waiting for me to undress her and help her into the tub. It took me all of twenty seconds to strip and climb in behind her. We've been in almost the same position in the gradually cooling water for almost thirty minutes.

"Yeah, we can go to bed now Christian." She turns in my embrace and kisses me sweetly before lifting herself from the tub. I'm graced with her delectable derriere in my face, so tempting, and I can't help but lean forward and kiss first the left cheek and then the right. I hear her gasp and move to stand with her.

Grabbing the towels I had laid out earlier, I first wrap her up in hers once she is out of the tub. I climb over the side and proceed to quickly dry my chest and then wrap the other towel around my waist. Clasping her hand in mine, I led her back to the bed. Once I plug my phone into her charger by the bed-side table, I make sure to set the alarm for 5:00am. She has rounds at seven and will want to be at the hospital early. My place is downtown, only about 10 minutes from the hospital, so it won't be too out of the way for us to stop there and grab me a change of clothes and still have time to grab breakfast without being rushed for time.

I remove our towels and pull back her covers and motion for her to get in. "Sleep Ana. We need to be up early to get you into the hospital before the others so that you can round ahead of the group. I also heard you talking with mom tonight. I know that you'll want to check in on your transplant patient as well." I turn her so that I can spoon her and pull her flush against my chest, wrapping my arm tight around her.

Placing one last kiss to her head of hair, I let sleep take me over.

xxxXXXxxx

"Sshhh. If you wake her I won't be able to help you. Her alarm will go off soon. You can talk to her then." I wake to the sound of someone that must think they're whispering, but in reality, they are one level away from shouting.

"Katie, I don't know what to do anymore. She's made it clear, I lose. I should have taken the private practice offer in Vegas. Why I let you convince me to come here, I don't know?" Who the hell is Kate talking with at this ungodly hour? I turn over to look at the alarm and see that it's almost 4:30 am. Whoever is in the hallway, going to sleep again is pointless now.

"Listen. You have to stick with the plan. I've been working on this for nearly three years. One of those Grey boys is going to be mine. Elliot is a man whore. I don't think I can sway him into settling down, but Christian, he's been married once before. Although it ended with him broken hearted, I was sure that I would be able to convince him that I could heal him. Then you had to open your trap at the banquet and drive her straight to him. Her mother and I can only do so much. Calling her names and spreading rumors at the hospital will only hurt things. You need to back off a bit and pretend to be truly remorseful. Do everything you can to undermine Christian. Once you two are back together, I can take care of him." Kate must be pretty close to Ana's door because I hear every word she is saying and if she thinks I'd touch her with someone else's ten-foot dick, she's fucking delusional.

"I don't know what to do. She's bound to find out that I've not exactly been celibate since we broke up. And what will she do when she finds out that you text me that night I was planning to propose. She will eventually know that you're the reason I dumped her and left and then what? I know you've been playing this game a long time, but it's been years. Whatever she did to you, you need to get over. She was what, 11, when she moved away? That's almost 15 years ago. Let it go, Kate." He sounds pretty pissed and I have to agree with him. Whatever she's doing is pissing me off.

"She won't find out unless you tell her. She gets everything in life. Me though, I have to work hard. My father squandered my trust fund away. I am up to my eyeballs in student loans and if I don't find a way to pull Kavanagh Media out of the red, it will have all been for nothing. My mother told me to marry a Grey, and that's what I have to do. I'm not gonna let you fuck this up for me. I've sacrificed my entire life and dream job to move back here, to this dreary city. Without the Grey's support, I won't be able to save my family's legacy."

What the hell? She's trying to get with Elliot or me for money? I wonder what she would do if she knew just how much either of us was really worth these days.

"Is she really saying what I think she's saying?" I hadn't realized Ana was awake?

"How long have you been awake, baby?" I kiss her forehead, as she had repositioned herself in the night and was now wrapped around me with her head on my chest. I can't believe that even with all the shit we are hearing right outside the door, my dick is hard as a rock just from the simple touches of Ana running her fingers through my chest hair.

"I've been awake since Luke mentioned Vegas. Those two deserve each other. If I wasn't so comfortable and completely naked, I would march right out there and give them a piece of my mind. As it is, I believe I'll beat them at their own game. What do you say we give them something to talk about?" She has a wicked glint in her eye and before I can do or say anything she's straddling my hips and sliding down on my cock.

I groan out a "Fuck" as she sits there a minute adjusting. I can't believe how wet she already is. "Ana, what were you dreaming of before you woke up?" I reach up to her hips to start to move her.

She slowly lifts herself up almost completely off me before she slams back down and answers me, leaning forward seductively purring in my ear. "I was dreaming about our date tomorrow and how I wanted it to finish at the end of the night. Now shut up and fuck me. I want them to hear me scream your name when you make me cum." She pulls back enough to let me see into her sparkling blue eyes.

This woman is a siren and I am under her spell. Caressing her face, I bring her face close to allow me to kiss her deeply before she pulls away and throws her head back arching and grinding against my pelvis before shifting to gain purchase. "Yes!" She really does want them to hear her.

She is pounding down on me, her arms behind her, hands resting on my thighs. The view of her as she envelops my cock every time she slams down onto me is intoxicating. "Shit baby, you're going to make this quick." I reach up with one hand to toy with her nipple, while the other hand reaches for her clit.

"Oh, fuck, Christian. That's it, right there." She continues at a punishing pace, pulling grunts and groans from the both of us as we continue to fuck like never before.

"Ana. Ana, I need you to come, baby. I'm close, I need you to come with me." She simply nods and reaches with one hand to the nipple I'm not pinching between my fingers.

I sit up so that we are nose to nose. Ana wraps both arms around me, never slowing her pace. I kiss her tenderly, in complete opposite of the frenzied state of our hips. When she needs a moment to breathe, she throws her head back with a moan. I thrust one hand in her hair holding her head to the side so that I can attack her neck; I'm going to mark her for that bastard to see all day today.

I continue flicking her clit, while I suckle her neck at the juncture where the neck meets the shoulder. "Yes, Christian, don't stop. Please don't stop." Her moans were growing louder and I know it's not just a show for those outside her door. She was like this the first night we met.

Pulling back from her neck, I admire my handiwork for a moment, feeling her clench around me. "Look at me Ana." I need to see her eyes when she comes.

"Christian." My name dances across my skin when whispered from her lips. Ana slows her pace, moving more in a rocking motion. Shit! It's about to happen, I've never felt anything this intense. Pressing her forehead to mine she whispers, "Come with me Christian."

Grasping her hips, I rock her back and then onto me harder once, twice, and by the third time she's squeezing around me and coming undone. A thin sheen of sweat covers her skin and I stare into her eyes, two thrusts and I'm coming undone with her. "Fuck!" This has to be the most intense orgasm of my life. What has this woman done to me? Never was it like this in college, never was it this intense even with my wife. I loved Leila with every fiber of my being, but it has never been this intense, felt this life altering, or this emotional for me.

I press a kiss to her red swollen lips, taking my time, pouring every ounce of what I'm feeling at this moment into it. She goes to pull off me and then I realize what just happened.

"Ana," I'm trying to hide the panic in my voice, but I don't think I accomplished it. The look on her face is one of panicked as well now.

"I'm sorry Christian, I didn't mean to attack you like that. I'll go to the bathroom and give you privacy so that you can leave." She looks hurt. I put a hand on her arm to stop her before she makes it completely off the bed.

"Ana, I don't want to leave, but if you want me to I will. Hell, you might throw me out again after what I have to say." Crap on a cracker! Now she really looks panicked. "What I mean to say is that ugh, we, ugh I, ugh didn't use a condom. I'm sorry Ana. I've never umm, done that before except for when I was married." I can't believe I was so stupid.

"It's okay Christian. I was tested two weeks before we moved here and until you, I hadn't been with anyone for nearly 5 months. I also get the shot every three months. My last shot was at the same time I had the testing done." Oh, thank God!

"Okay, I'm sorry I freaked, but I thought that you were going to hate me. I've never forgotten like that, but in fairness, it has been years since I had to think about protection and spontaneous sex." Now I'm rewarded with her broad smile, the panic leaving her beautiful blue eyes.

"I didn't really give you time to think. However, I have a few things that need to be taken care of this morning. You up for helping?" The glint in her eyes lets me know that she's going to be up to no good. But I'm all in.

"What do you plan to do, Trouble?" I can't stop the smile from spreading wider on my face.

"Well, first I have to tell Jose to drive himself to the hospital. Second, I need to call a locksmith to come change my locks the minute Kate's ass leaves. Third, I need to call your father and ask him if he could have a letter couriered to Kate at work, one that she has to sign for, informing her that she can come pack a bag tonight at 6pm. I can skip away from the hospital for a bit to be here then, and she can get the rest of her belongings on Wednesday afternoon. Anything left in the house as of Midnight Thursday becomes my property. She was an idiot on so many levels. She has all her mail going to a Post Office Box. Not even her car is registered for this address. She never signed a lease, and none of the household bills are in her name. Legally, I don't have to be so nice, but I'm not going to allow her actions to change me into a cruel person. Lastly, I need to make sure that your Dad sends a letter to Luke. I don't want to file a "no contact order" with the courts. It will make work more difficult. But I will if necessary and I want it in writing and signed for as well so that he knows I'm not messing around and hopefully, I can avoid this becoming public knowledge. Also, I would like to make all of these calls before we go to HR at 9 o'clock." She smiles so sweetly and devilishly at the same time with a gleam in her eye that assures that I can't deny her.

"Let's shower and then head over to my place. I'll call my dad at six, which will take care of him. I'm sure Elliot can take care of the locks for you. Just leave the current key with me and I'll send him over to do it first thing this morning. He owes me a favor or a few thousand, I'm sure he'll be happy to step in especially since he saw Kate in action first hand last night. Once I fill him in on Kate wanting to get her hands on his bank account via his bed, hell, I'd be surprised if he didn't want to talk you into donating her stuff to a woman's shelter instead of generously allowing her to collect it. If you'd like, I can even ask him to be here when she comes over as well. That way you aren't alone with her. I'm on call tonight, so I don't want to be here and then strand you if my pager goes off."

"Seriously?! That would be wonderful." She peppers my face with kisses and I can't believe how lucky I was to meet her in the bar that night.

xxxXXXxxx

"Thanks Dad." I dropped Ana at the front of the hospital at a quarter to six before parking this morning and calling my father while still in the car. Until we talk to HR, we shouldn't walk in together. Dad was half expecting Ana or I to call him. He said he would go into the office early and get the notices couriered to both Luke and Kate no later than 9:30. That means that Luke should have his by the time we come out of the human resources' office.

I should introduce Ana to Gail. Dr. Gail Jones is only a two-year resident, but she's is bright and ahead of her peers. She's going to be an amazing general surgeon. She stunned me the first day of her internship when she declared she wouldn't pursue anything outside of general surgery. She knew she would be too good of a surgeon to limit herself to just one area of the body. She wants to do it all. She's also Jason Taylor's significant other, and the main reason for the "declaration of intent" policy now enacted at the hospital.

Last year, Gail came into the program. She had evidently had a thing with Jason a few years back during her undergrad years. He had taught a few semesters at Berkley before coming here. When he left, they never contacted each other again. However, the moment that he saw her in those maroon scrubs last summer, he was a goner. He chased her restlessly for two months before she relented. It was when about two months after they started seeing each other that Gail fell in the middle of an operating room. She had an ectopic pregnancy that had caused a rupture to one of her fallopian tubes. When Gia Matteo found Jason crying at her bedside the evening of her surgery, she ran to anyone that would listen and told them all about the sordid affair she created for Gail and Jason.

It caused stress for Gail when her classmates ostracized her and her resident tried to freeze her out of the OR. After two weeks, Gail went to HR. It wasn't against policy to date fellow employees, it was just frowned upon. She came up with a solution though. If staff could declare their relationships early on, no one could call favoritism because they would agree to never be in direct supervision of the other, and scorned lovers couldn't cry sexual harassment later on, something that had unfortunately occurred before.

Now with the situation with Luke, I am thankful for the declarations. She can even fill out a paper to disclose her prior relationship to Luke and to notify HR that he's been borderline harassing outside the hospital. Any claims she may need to file later will be above board and well documented.

I walk into the hospital and toward the elevators just about to call Elliot when I see Luke enter my peripheral view. He stops when he notices I'm in the lobby too and glares at me with the fire of a thousand suns. Seriously, if looks could kill I would spontaneously combust on the spot. I only have to think of Ana this morning with her heat wrapped around my dick and I forget about him. Smiling to myself I glance back to my phone and press the button to call Ell.

"Yo, shit bag, what up?" He answers just as the elevator doors open and a flood of people exit.

"Elliot, are you ever going to grow up?" I know what the answer will be, it's always the same.

"When Mia gets a real job." Yeah, of course the answer to my question being, ahh, never.

"Real mature, Asshole. I need a favor from you though." I'm trying to get the elevator doors closed before Luke can get on with me, pressing the button for my floor repeatedly.

"What do you need baby brother?" I hate when he calls me that. Thankfully the doors close and I'm the only one on the elevator.

"I'm over thirty Elliot; I don't think you can call me baby brother anymore. Anyway, the favor I need is not really for me. Ana needs help with getting her locks changed, both her front and back doors. And she needs it done asap. Kate will be leaving for work soon and she needs it done the second she is out of the house. Kate drives a white late 2000s Mercedes. Then I need you to meet Ana back at the house at 6 tonight so that she's not alone with Kate when she comes to collect some of her things. Now that I think about it, would you look over her security system while you are there? I don't want to take any chances." By the time I finish telling Elliot what I need the elevator opens to my floor. I hurry to my office as I know he's about to ask why.

"Why the urgency man? She could have changed the locks last night if she was planning to throw Kate out, but I don't think it was all that bad at dinner. Embarrassing, sure, but nothing worth throwing away a friendship."

"Kate, unknowingly, woke us up this morning sneaking Luke into the house so that he would be able to ambush Ana when she got up for work. We don't know all the details, but we heard the two of them talking and Kate is trying to get them back together for some reason and she's been planning it for a while. To top it off, she's desperate to trap one of us into marriage because she needs money."

"What the Hell Christian?! She's the daughter of the owner of Kavanagh Media, the biggest Media outlet in the state. Why would she be hurting for money?"

"I heard her say something about someone squandering her trust fund, and her mother telling her to marry a Grey and things would be better. She was really spiteful sounding and completely jealous of Ana. Like one step away from boiling bunnies. Can you help me out or not?" I don't have to wait long for his answer; I knew he would do it.

"Fucking hell yeah, I'll do it, but I'm sending you a bill. I may be happy to see you living again, and with Ana Steele no less. Doesn't mean I work for free and thanks for letting me get my hands on Ana's "back door"." He says while not even trying to hold back his laughter.

Taking a deep calming breath, I choose to ignore Elliot's attempt to rile me up insinuating that he would be having anal sex with Ana. "You've never worked for free for me. Speaking of which, I didn't get an invoice for the last of the supplies for the house in Kirkland." I've been sinking money into that rundown shack for months and I've only got three months to finish flipping it before I start losing money.

"I'll ask Megan what the holdup is. We should complete and have the city sign off on the inspections by the end of next week. I'll give Miss Kelly a call and let her know when she can come in for pictures and staging. The sooner she lists it, the sooner we make our money back." What?

"Elliot, did you forget that you didn't put anything down for this one. The profit is solely mine. That's why you're getting paid your usual rate. Nice try big brother, but I didn't quadruple my trust fund by being an idiot."

"Come on Christian, you don't really need the money. You got all those millions for your miracle serum. Share the wealth." Not likely.

"You want a cut, that's fine. It'll be the last house we work on together. I'll find another contractor for the next one and I've already got three leads for my next project."

"You win. Keep your Benjamins this time. Don't cut me out the next time though." I didn't cut him out, but I also didn't give him more than a day or two to give me an answer.

"Deal. I gotta go Elliot. I've got rounds starting soon and I still need to look at my schedule for the day. When can you come by and get the key?" While waiting for him to answer, I fire up my laptop and walk around my desk to the credenza on the left wall to fix myself a cup of coffee. First thing I bought when the hospital gave me my own office was a Keurig. I didn't want to drink the swill they call coffee that they serve in the attendings' lounge.

"Okay. I'll meet you at your office in 20 to get her key." He hangs up before I can give a reply.

Stirring my coffee after adding the creamer, I open my calendar to see what it on my schedule for today. I have a craniotomy scheduled for 10:30 and I have Elizabeth Morgan, the Chief Resident, scrubbing in along with Luke Sawyer. I might have a little fun in the OR today. With that thought, I relax into my office chair and read up on some of my notes for my surgeries today while I wait for Elliot to get here, luckily my rounds begin at 7:30 this morning and will end with plenty of time for me to meet Ana at the HR office.


	6. Chapter 6: In the Open

**A/N: Just a heads up, I'm not in the medical profession. So, what you find in this chapter is pretty much what I gleamed from watching countless hours of Grey's Anatomy re-runs. If I failed to accurately portray something, I apologize. It was not my intention, but this is fiction, so I can bend things to fit the need of my story. Don't like that then tough bully for you.**

 **Things are moving along. I had said that after this chapter we would get to the date, I lied. It's going to be chapter 8. Next chapter will follow up on this and conversation with Ana's mother and the fall out of kicking Kate out. AS for Kate, there will be no redeeming her in this story. Luke might be able to redeem himself later on, but not Kate. She's just a BITCH. Her reasons, bad ones anyway, will be revealed around the 10-12 chapter mark. So hang with me, because it's a doozy. Same goes for the reasons Carla hates Grace Grey. It's all tied together.**

 **Anyway. I'm on Facebook under Steele Heart. I am also in a few of the groups, you should find me and hang out. I post teasers and currently have a poll in one of the groups asking for help with Baby Grey's name for A Submissive Beginning. I'm also on Pinterest. Links are in my bio, along with a tentative posting schedule.**

 **I love getting your reviews and all of your comments. It is what keeps me writing. Be sure and send a shout out to the amazing Gate Park. Best damn Beta in the FF world. She cranks these out with me, even when it's a BB night.**

 **I don't own FSOG.**

 **Laters**

Grey Vitals

Chapter 6

Ana's POV

"Steele, you're assigned to Dr. Jones today. She's on her general surgery rotation. She's assisting Dr. Matteo and Dr. Taylor with two transplant operations piggy backed this afternoon. You'll be assisting pre-op and post-op. You're work last week has earned you a "scrub in" for the first surgery which is a lung, liver, and kidney removal. Talk to your Attendings about the rest of the procedures. You've got a great opportunity today Steele. Don't blow it." I listen to my Chief Resident, Elizabeth Morgan hand out the assignments for today's surgical procedures. I'm excited I get to scrub in on a transplant. We've finished our rounds and looking at my watch I have 30 minutes to find Dr. Jones and introduce myself before it's time to head to the second floor and meet Christian at the HR office.

Jose was assigned to work with Dr. Welch and Dr. Prescott on a hip replacement. Barney was assigned to Dr. Grace Grey and is working on the Pediatrics floor all this week. I'm excited to meet more of the surgeons and work in different departments today. Walking into the sixth-floor semi-isolation wing I look around and take everything in. Only pre-op and post-op transplant patients are roomed in this area. During rounds this morning we learned that there was a motorcycle crash victim, a 26-year-old single man who was currently on life support. His mother, his only next of kin, signed the paperwork to end life support today, but as luck would have it, he's a perfect match for another patient in the hospital. Amanda Perez is a 15 year-old girl with cystic fibrosis. She's had a multitude of issues over the year, but her lungs, kidneys, and liver have all started to fail her. She's needed an oxygen mask for the last 8 months, she's been on dialysis for over a year, and last week she came into the hospital with the beginning stages of liver failure. Today she is looking a little better, not as jaundiced, but still very weak. The transplants today will give her a better chance at a normal life.

Walking to the nurses' station I spot one of the nurses in their standard uniform of pink scrubs. "Hi, can you help me find Dr. Jones?" I have no clue what this person looks like. I think Christian or Grace had mentioned her, at least I think it was a her.

"Tall strawberry blonde over by room 628." The nurse barely looked up but I see the woman she's talking about. Walking toward the woman I see her talking to Dr. Taylor and even I blush at the way he's looking at her.

"Ah, Dr. Steele, I see you found us." Jason Taylor is not a shy man, and he adored my father. Dad was his mentor and he never hesitates to share little antidotes about dad at work.

"Well I needed a little help. I was sent to find Dr. Jones." The other resident finally turns and I watch as Dr. Taylor places an arm around her waist, his right hand resting on her hip.

"Dr. Anastasia Steele, let me introduce you to the woman who refuses to accept my marriage proposals, my girlfriend, Dr. Gail Jones." I watch as Gail elbows Jason in the stomach before extending her hand to me.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Dr. Steele. I've heard a lot about you. This one here seems to be one of your biggest fans, but I think it's because he sees you as the second coming of your father though." She says with a smile that reaches all the way to her eyes. It's easy to see that she is genuine and the first person who hasn't seemed like they were walking on eggshells around me at the mention of my father.

"Well you seem to have me at a disadvantage. I'm still learning who everyone is in the hospital. I'd like to say I've heard good things about you, but I'm afraid I haven't heard much. It was a busy week last week and I've tried to spend as much time as possible in the research lab between cases." And it is the truth. The less time I spent on the floor, the less time I was around to hear the gossip being spread about me. I have a thick skin, but hearing the talk about my father mixed in with the gossip is just too much.

"Don't worry. We've got a lengthy surgery today and our patient will need our focus for the week. Getting her past the first 48 hours post-op will be crucial. With the two of us being the bottom of the surgical food chain, that means that we have the task of staying close to the room for the duration. I've already noted that you were scheduled off for tomorrow. If you don't mind me taking tonight off, I'll be glad to leave your schedule the way it is. If anything happens you follow usual protocol. I'm still a resident so you'll page Dr. Taylor or Dr. Matteo." Ugh, the Dragon Lady, I quickly try to hide a grimace that even just the mention of her name evokes. That woman has been giving me side glares since she caught Christian and me in the stairwell last week. "Seems like you've already met our esteemed Dr. Matteo. Watch your back with her. Being your father's daughter will make you her biggest target, and well, Gia seems to be bullet proof." I detect a hint of disgust in her voice when she says Gia's name and I know that I'll have to find out what that is about.

"Ladies, our procedure is scheduled for 2 pm this afternoon. It's now 8:45 am. I want all labs re-run on both patients, and we need new scans on the lungs from our donor. Get those to me by noon please. If there are going to be any delays, I don't want to wait until I'm scrubbing to find out about them." I watch Jason kiss Gail's cheek and walk away.

"So, before you can ask. Yes, I love that man with all my heart. I don't know what you'll hear about us, there is a lot of it out there, and when we aren't in the middle of a critical case, I'll grab a bottle of tequila and share all the truthful juicy details with you. For now, I want to give you a few words of advice." I watch her straighten as she starts to walk to the nurses' station and get our patients' charts.

"First, whatever is being said about you isn't really about you. It's people looking to justify their own inadequacies and projecting their insecurities. You are everything an intern wants to be when they start here. You were early selected for Mayo, and had offers from every other top ten hospital in the country, yet you came here. You are beautiful, and not only that, you managed to catch the eye of one Dr. Christian Grey." I start to protest, but she holds a hand up and shakes her head at me.

"I've known Christian since the day I started here last year. He and Jason are best friends. I've watched him wallow in misery at the memory of his late wife. I hear that she was a wonderful girl, but he's been laser focused since her death. I've seen him in the last two weeks and he seems happier than ever. Most of the female staff under the age of 40 is going to be envious, even a few of the married ones. There are only two women you really need to worry about putting a knife in your back. Dr. Gia Matteo, and Dr. Bethany Walker. Gia is a bit of a, uhhh, well, let's just say that she thinks she's God's gift to man and she hates to be turned down. Jason and Christian have both turned her down along with one other person that no one can talk about. Now, Bethany, on the other hand is an OB attending. She was part of Christian's intern class. She's the only one still around. Word is she tried hard to "be there for him" when Leila died, and she tries to corner him whenever she can. She's also not happy that Luke Sawyer ended their thing when he heard you were coming here." Huh!?

"What are you talking about Luke for?" I don't understand.

"Word on the surgical floor is that you and Luke were star crossed lovers destined to be together until whatever broke you up. Now you're both here and people are waiting to see how long before you are back together." I snort. Star-crossed my ass!

"Luke and I dated for two years in college. It ended and not on a good note. You bring the tequila and tell me about you and Jason, I'll provide the salt and tell you about Luke and me. We won't be getting back together, ever and that's all I will say about it, for now." I reply mirroring her sentiment about talking in the open about our personal lives. Taking a quick look at my watch and note that I've only got seven minutes before I'm supposed to meet Christian.

"Gail, I've got to meet Christian in HR in seven minutes. I'll be back as soon as we're done and I'll get Amanda's blood drawn if you can get Mr. Mabry's chest films." Knowing that drawing blood is lower on the totem pole than overseeing x-rays, I only wait a few seconds to see her smile and nod. Spinning on my heels, I take off running for the stairs. I've got five minutes to get down four flights and to the other end of the hospital.

xxxXXXxxx

"Now Dr. Steele, we just need you and Dr. Grey to fill out these forms and then we can go over the rules. On the first page is all of the pertinent information. We need to know if you met inside the hospital or prior to the start of your internship. We need to know if you have been pressured into this relationship. I know a lot of these questions seem like an invasion of privacy, but we do need this information to prevent lawsuits in the future. Not just from the two of you, but it will help from other employees from trying to file sexual harassment against the two of you for your relationship. These forms don't just protect the hospital, but the two of you as well." I listen to Ms. Kelly tell me all about how the forms started and now I wonder who the brave woman was that started this process.

I scroll down the forms filling in the required details. _My name, date of birth, and my contact information. When did my relationship with Christian start? Was it casual before we decided to be serious? Has it been completely sexual? Have we seen each other outside of the hospital yet? Have we discussed previous partners?_ WTF!? Why do they need to know that? _Have I had a prior relationship with anyone else in the hospital since my employment?_ Well I guess Luke doesn't really count.

The form goes on and on. _Do I feel this is a temporary relationship? Have I been vindictive in the past in relation to wanting to get even with a past partner?_ I've sure as hell thought of the ways I'd like to cut Luke's dick off, but other than the black eye and the fork in his hand, I've never done anything against him that was unprovoked. I don't see anywhere that I can disclose my history with Luke on here though.

"Ms. Kelly, I had a relationship with a fellow doctor while I was still Pre-Med. I don't see anywhere on here that I can list that. The only reason I'm really mentioning it is because he managed to get an invite to a dinner that we were at last night and he proceeded to feel me up. He didn't like me stabbing him in the hand with my fork and said a few things and then was able to get into my house this morning. He should be receiving papers from my lawyer any moment, advising him that he should keep any contact between us as strictly professional at the hospital. He's not my direct resident so he has no reason to be contacting me outside of the hospital." I check my watch and see that it's already 9:20 am. Luke should be served any minute if he hasn't been already. Carrick assured Christian he would have it done before we walked out of this office.

I'm sure that Kate will be blowing up my phone any minute. That's a headache I don't even want to deal with today. I'm going to have to talk to Gail and see if she can give me the hour before she leaves for the day so that I can meet Kate and Elliot at the house.

"Dr. Steele, I have a separate form you can fill out regarding your previous boyfriend. Will you need to file a complaint?" She looks apprehensive and I understand. That's a headache neither of us wants.

"I'm hoping that the notice from my personal attorney will negate that. I don't want to do that. I've not worked with him yet, so I don't know what kind of doctor he is, but I do know that I want him to get a clue and leave me alone. He seems to be under the impression that my father wanted us to get back together and that is the reason we both came here." Ms. Kelly purses her lips and I feel unease settle into my stomach.

"Dr. Grey, would you give me a moment alone with Dr. Steele please?" What?

"Sure. I'll be right outside the door filling out my paperwork." Christian gives me a wink and leaves the office.

"Ana, I know you don't know me, or rather, you don't remember me. I was just an admittance clerk when your father worked here the first time. You were a little curly headed three-year-old running around these halls. The reason I'm telling you this is because there are a great many of us that remember you fondly. We were just as heartbroken to see you move away as we were about your father. When he returned to Seattle, we just knew you wouldn't be far behind. What I'm trying to say is that many of the staff feel a sense of loyalty and protectiveness where you are concerned. Now, this doctor that you dated in school. Would it happen to be Dr. Lucas Sawyer?" And I feel my stomach bottom out.

"Yes." My voice is barely a whisper.

"I thought so. That explains it. I've had plenty of complaints against him and things he has been overheard saying since the start of your internship. I actually have an appointment with him this afternoon. I will be addressing this matter with him then. Now I'm going to say a few things that I will deny if I'm ever questioned. First, while your father did vouch and make a recommendation for Luke, that is the only reason he was accepted into the program here. If not for Raymond Steele, Luke Sawyer wouldn't be here. Second, Ray Steele's word only goes so far. You can only do so much before all good will you had is lost. Third, I don't know who told you that your father wanted the two of you back together, but I was in charge of intern placement that year. I know exactly how your father felt about Luke Sawyer, and none of it was good in a personal sense. He felt that Luke would make a good doctor, but he said he only helped Luke get into the program here because he was so certain you would go somewhere else. Your father thought Luke Sawyer was a bastard, and the first time Luke tried to use Ray's name to get out of jail free with his Chief Resident, Ray put him in his place and let him know what he thought of him on a personal level. Now let's get Dr. Grey back in here and get this done." While tipping her chin up toward the closed door, she gives me a bright smile allowing me to release a breath I didn't even realize I was holding.

She walks around her desk to let Christian back in the office. We spend the next fifteen minutes going over the rest of the forms before she proceeds to move onto the "rules". "As you can see we have a few things we need you to adhere to. First, the on-call room is for sleeping and nothing else. And yes, this is still a problem, but if we can prevent people from getting upset walking in on you mid-coitus, then it works. Second, under no circumstances are the two of you allowed to work a case together by yourselves. There must be at least one more resident, higher ranking than Dr. Steele signing off on all her charts if you are treating the same patient. Third, Dr. Grey cannot favor Dr. Steele over any other doctor when requesting assistance with patients. Fourth, there will be no pressuring to sync work schedules so that days off coincide. Dr. Steele's schedule will be set by her Chief Resident. Days off may be requested two weeks in advance. There are a few other requests listed if you would like to read them over, I can answer any questions you may have." I glance over the requests of the board.

1\. 1. No flirtatious behavior in front of other employees or patients and their families.

2\. 2. Partners in the relationship must refer to each other by their proper title in front of patients. i.e. Dr. A, Nurse B.

3\. 3. Public Displays of Affection are to be kept to a chaste minimum. Kisses shouldn't be considered aggressive or vulgar or last too long. Touching should be limited to hand holding, gentle hands around one another. No groping or fondling what so ever.

4\. 4. Language should be monitored at all times. Speaking in a vulgar manor with one another in unacceptable.

5\. 5. Pagers are for hospital use only.

6\. 6. Please exclude yourself from participating in any behavior you wouldn't want to witness between others inside of the hospital.

7\. 7. Any arguments or disagreements should be dealt with off the premises.

8\. 8. Offices and parking spaces cannot be shared.

9\. 9. Please refrain from discussing your relationship with other employees. It adds to gossip that should be avoided.

Some of these things I'm guessing have been added because of some issue arising. Ms. Kelly asks if we have any questions and we both shake our heads no. Once we are dismissed we walk out of her office hand in hand. I feel like I'm home with just his simple touch.

"It's near 10. We should be hearing from my dad soon to confirm everything has been taken care of." Christian pulls his phone to check to see if there is word from his father. I pull my phone out of my pocket where I had it stashed and turn it back on. I had turned it off completely so that I wouldn't have to deal with the vibrating while we were with Ms. Kelly.

The minute my phone is on, the dinging and notifications from voicemails and text messages starts.

 **9:07am Kate: What is the meaning of this piece of shit paper? Are you really kicking me out just because I brought Luke to dinner yesterday?**

 **9:08am Kate: I thought I was doing you a favor.**

 **9:11am Kate: Why are you ignoring me? Too chicken shit to face me yourself?**

 **9:12am Kate: I live there. You can't just kick me out.**

 **9:14am Kate: I can get my own lawyer.**

 **9: 15am Luke: I'm sorry about last night. Is this really necessary?**

 **9:17am Kate: My father says you have to go through the court system to evict me. See you tonight. I won't be packing.**

 **9:18am Kate: You're a real piece of work Ana. If you do this, I'm going to come back at you.**

 **9:20am Kate: You don't want to get on my bad side Ana.**

 **9:21am Luke: I don't know what started it, but you probably don't want to piss Kate off right now. Just a little friendly advice.**

 **9:23am Kate: I know things. Things that could destroy you and everything you know. DO NOT TEST ME STEELE!**

 **9:25am Mom: Ana, what is the meaning of this? Kate called me in tears saying you kicked her out for no reason. You call her back right now and tell her you made a mistake.**

 **9:26am Kate: I told you once that I could be someone's worst enemy, you're about to be mine.**

 **9:32am Kate: ANSWER ME BITCH!**

 **9:35am Jose: Ana, you owe me some details. Kate is blowing up my phone. She's gone into Bitchzilla mode. She's pissed. You said the locks would be changed by now right? I'm on "the Stud's" service today. I can't be dealing with her skank ass when I want to be staring at his flexed ass. ;)**

 **9:38am Kate: I'm Katherine Kavanagh, Seattle's newest media darling. I will crucify you.**

 **9:42am Kate: You're going to regret this Anastasia.**

I shiver looking over each of the text messages. Kate has gone full on crazy and I have no clue what just happened. What did I do to her, and what does she know. I'll have to call my mother, but it will need to wait till after I draw Amanda's blood.

My phone chimes once more and I'm hesitant to pull it out once again, afraid to see what stinging words Kate is throwing now. It's a text from Carrick.

 **9:50am Carrick: Both sets of papers have been delivered. My intern tells me that you might need to get a restraining order against Kate. She was spewing pretty vulgar language when she started reading the papers. I've taken the liberty of sending one of our investigators out to your house just to keep an eye on it for you.**

Thank you lord for the Greys. I text back a thank you as I turn toward Christian. "Your dad said the papers have been delivered to both Kate and Luke. They've both texted me along with my mother and Jose." I can't believe the threats Kate is hurling at me. I've lived with Kate for nearly seven years, I always thought the worse form of trouble I'd have was waking up with some stranger's ass poking out from behind the open refrigerator door while they grabbed some orange juice not her threatening to "destroy me". Taking a deep calming breath, I quietly remind myself that Kate doesn't know that Christian and I overheard her and Luke early this morning. I'll have to deal with this psycho bitch that Kate is turning into now or she'll just keep texting me.

 **9:53am Ana: Kate, I am being as nice as I can be to a backstabbing "best friend". I will be at MY house from 6-7pm for you to remove your stuff. I'm at work and can't handle your bullshit right now**

"You'll find Jose sometime and talk to him. Call your mom on your way to your house this evening. Remember Elliot will be there waiting for you. He'll be the idiot in the big yellow 4x4." I don't remember seeing his truck at Grace's house last night. He must have sensed my confusion because next he's telling me why I didn't see the truck last night. "He was in his car last night. Mom doesn't like the truck coming to the house. It's loud she says and usually covered in mud. If he has to go home and change vehicles, he'll likely change clothes as well. At least that is the way mom looks at it and so far it's worked."

I smile, because that is most definitely Grace Grey logic. "I have to get to work." I reach up on my tiptoes and give him the swiftest kiss possible before I'm racing for the stairs.

Christian's POV

"Dr. Grey." I look to my left and see Elizabeth Morgan enter the scrub room.

"Good morning Dr. Morgan." I continue scrubbing my left forearm before I move down to my wrist and continue to my hand, being sure to clean between each finger.

"Dr. Grey, Christian, if I may be so bold, I was wondering if you might be free on Saturday night. I happen to have tickets to an old school jazz revival and thought you might like to join me." This woman asks me out at least once a week, along with half the other female staff at Seattle General.

"I'm not sure if I have plans this weekend or not Dr. Morgan. I'm sure if I don't though, I will be spending them with my girlfriend." I exchange the bar of soap I'm using from the right hand to the left so that I can scrub the right arm.

"Oh! I didn't know you had a girlfriend." She looks surprised and a little disbelieving.

"It's fairly new." I keep my answers short. I don't see Elizabeth Morgan as a spiteful woman, but she's Ana's Chief Resident and could cause her trouble.

"She must be one amazing woman to finally be the one to snag you. She's very lucky." I look to her face and I see nothing but genuine truth in her eyes. I release a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"She is amazing and I'm the lucky one." I turn back to finish scrubbing my right hand when the door from the outer hallway opens and Luke walks in.

"Dr. Sawyer, what happened to your hand?" It's only upon hearing Elizabeth's scolding tone that I look and see the bandage on his right hand. I hadn't noticed that this morning. I turn away from Luke to hide the smile on my face. Ana put some force behind that fork.

"Had a little trouble at dinner last night. I won't be holding a scalpel for the next two days, but Dr. Hyde assured me that it is only superficial. I won't be scrubbing in today. I'm going to be it the skills lab with my interns going over surgical tray layouts. I just wanted to let you know." Luke is only standing just inside the door and is making no effort to come any closer.

"Oh, well. I'm glad to hear it isn't anything too terrible. If you need any help today let me know. I believe that Dr. Fox's interns are in the pit today. Call Boyce and have him send someone up here to replace you, preferably a resident who hasn't been in here for a craniotomy yet."

"Of course, Dr. Morgan. Dr. Grey, good luck in there today." I nod to him and I must admit, this is the most contrite I have ever seen Luke Sawyer.

"Well that was disappointing. I was hoping to get him to gossip with me a little bit today. I hear he was close to Dr. Steele in school and I wanted to know what she was like. I've not spent much time with her since she started and I'm wondering if she can live up to her father's name." I don't like the snide way she insinuates that Ana is here on her father's name.

"Anastasia will surpass her father before anyone knows it. She could've gone to Mayo or John Hopkins and instead she came here. She already knows what she wants to do and as an intern, she spends more time in the research library than most fifth year residents."

"Touchy Dr. Grey. I heard that your mother had a hand in her coming here, but there is really no reason for you to defend the little girl so much." Now I'm pissed.

"Elizabeth, as her Chief Resident, I would expect you to have read her file before she started. If you had done so, then you would have known that Dr. Steele was accepted to every Top 10 hospital in the country. The Mayo Clinic offered her an internship before the end of her second year of med school. She did a summer program with them and had intended to go there upon graduation. She helped rewrite the standards for pediatric non-invasive procedures. That new robot in OR 7, she helped create the software you used last week to remove the tumor from your nine-year-old patient's spine. She's been published six times in medical journals, and one of those articles was re-published in Times Magazine's scientific issue last year. How many times have you been published Dr. Morgan?" I already know the answer to that.

"Seriously, how do you know all that?" I rinse my hands and raise them in the air taking note not to touch anything before I answer.

"I know all that because Dr. Anastasia Steele is my girlfriend." I watch her mouth drop open as I walk to the automatic door and enter the operating room.

Walking to the head of my patient, I wait for Dr. Morgan to join me and the rest of the team while I dry my hands with the sterile towel handed to me. The nurse helps me into the surgical gown and with my gloves. I nod to another nurse who turns on the musical stylings of Journey. "It's a beautiful day to save lives people." With that my mask is secured behind my head and Elizabeth takes her place next to me to assist.

Ana's POV

Gail and I have just handed over all the test results for our patients to Dr. Taylor and he's instructed us to eat and hydrate before the procedure. Seriously, I've been so busy; I didn't even have time to call my mom. Now it appears that I won't even get the chance before tonight. So that's the bad news, the good news is that Kate hasn't texted me since I sent her my reply this morning

"I'm sorry you don't get to eat with Grace like you had planned. She's one of my favorites here. When all hell broke loose for me last year, she was one of the first to step up in my defense. The Grey's are good people, all of them." I see her tilt her head to the side a bit and then she gives a look that hits me as someone that is somewhat unimpressed. "Well, all of them except Mia. That girl is the epitome of spoiled little rich girl. I don't know what her problem is, but I know that the Greys raised her better." I remember Kate saying something about Mia's attitude when she came back last summer but I can't remember exactly what it was.

"I grew up with the Greys being a second family to me until we moved to Boston when I was 11. I remember mom being mad about dad accepting the job on the opposite coast. I cried and tried to run away to Grace's house. I told her I would be good and would sleep on the trundle bed in Mia's room, but she just gave me a sad smile and told me my father would miss me too much." Thinking back to that day, I remember that there had been no mention of my mom when Grace spoke to me. She only appealed to what my decision would do to my father. Even as a young girl, I preferred the company of my father and his fellow doctors to that of my mother and her country club social circle.

"I can imagine that. She has one of those mothering personalities. She wants to fix and support everyone. She's the one that made me pull my head out of my ass and finally give Jason the second chance he deserved. But like I said, he and I have a history." Laughing, she says, "I'll need a bottle of Cuervo to tell you, going down memory lane is much more fun with tequila."

"A woman after my own heart. I'm off tomorrow night and when I come back on Thursday I've got a 48-hour shift. Jose Rodriguez, another first year and my roommate, and I usually save the tequila for special occasions, but I think that we can find a reason to drink come Saturday night. I'll get you the address later." I look at my watch and note that we've only got about fifteen minutes to get our food wolfed down before we need to move our patient to pre-op.

"So Gail, you didn't tell me that the paperwork I had to fill out for HR would want everything but the date of my last menstrual cycle." I take a bite of my turkey on rye and before she can say anything our pagers go off.

Gail reaches for hers first, "Shit. We've got to go its Amanda." I toss my sandwich down and I'm off racing behind Gail.

She races up the stairs by the cafeteria and I'm only a few steps behind her. We reach the fifth floor landing when I hear the exit door open and feel someone grab me before I can reach the second step.

"Who the fuck?!" I whip around, my hair flying behind me when I see Luke holding my wrist in a death grip. "Seriously Sawyer, let me go before I do more than stab you with a fork or punch you." He tightens his grip on me just a bit, and there is something in his eyes that gives me pause.

"Annie, I never meant to hurt you." His voice is low and whispered.

"You're hurting me now. Seriously Luke, let me go! I've got a patient coding." He immediately releases me and I stumble a moment before I catch myself and I turn to race up the rest of the stairs.

Breaking through the door to the sixth floor, I yell at people to get out of the way. I reach Amanda's room and find Gail in the middle of CPR. "Ana get me 5 of epi. Someone call up to the OR and tell them we need to get in there now. Someone page Dr. Taylor and tell Dr. Matteo to get our donor in the OR now. The sooner Amanda gets her new lungs the better." I push the epinephrine just like Gail instructed. "Charge to 200." A nurse charges the defibrillator, Gail grabs the paddles, I watch a nurse add the gel and Gail presses the paddle together to spread the gel. "Clear!" Everyone steps back and lifts their hands in the air as Gail presses the paddles to Amanda's chest and shocks her. I watch the monitors and grab the bag attached to Amanda's mouth and continue to squeeze forcing air into her lungs. "Still nothing, Charge to 250" Gail watches the monitors hoping for a hint of rhythm. "Clear!" Once again, the paddles are pressed to Amanda's chest. Her body jolts with the charge and then we hear the beep. "We've got a rhythm. Let's be quick and get her into the OR. I want to know why her heart suddenly went into failure." Dr. Taylor enters the room just as we are grabbing the portable monitor and Amanda's IV bags for transport.

"Let's move it people. She's waited this long for her lungs; we aren't going to lose her now, Dr. Bailey is holding the room for us." He nods to me and I follow behind him watching Gail push Amanda out the door. "Steele, get up to OR 3 and help Dr. Matteo get those lungs. Tell her not to hand the heart off until I give her the all clear."

Oh shit, I'm going to be in the OR alone with the Dragon Lady. I look at the faint bruising already appearing on my wrist from Luke and I wonder if this day can get any worse.


	7. Ch7: Not My Pillow

**A/N: Kate's crazy is coming out, so be prepared. Remember that my one-shot from the forbidden challenge is the prequel to Grey Vitals. If you've not read Promise Me, you should. It will answer a lot of questions about Christian's back story. I don't intend to give away the plot points yet. You are all guessing and trying to figure out why Carla hates Grace, and it's not for the reason you think. Everyone thinks that Luke cheated on Ana and that's what was up with him dumping her. Nope, Luke was faithful and fully in love with Ana. He had the ring in his pocket and he ordered champagne and then he got that text. He should have never looked at his phone, but he did. Now it's a mess and he could lose it all.**

 **As to why Kate is the way she is with Ana. No one is going to guess that one. It's going to be explosive and should happen in chapter 10. Remember this story is all drama. Things may seem soap opera-ish, and that is because I want it that way. This story is supposed to be a complete departure from all the others I've written.**

 **Look up my bio and you'll find my Facebook and Pinterest links. You'll also find me in several of the Facebook groups. My posting schedule is in the bio as well.**

 **I don't own FSOG or Grey's Anatomy, but I'm having fun mashing the two without writing a crossover.**

 **Laters**

Grey Vitals

Chapter 7: Not My Pillow

Ana's POV

I was shocked at the ability of the Dragon Lady in the OR. Dr. Gia Matteo is good at what she does. She moved with precision from the moment she held her hand out and said, "Ten blade". I was walking the liver to the OR where Jason, Gail, and my supervising resident, Dr. Ros Bailey were waiting.

"Dr. Steele, tell Dr. Matteo that the harvest team may take the heart. We found the clot and were able to remove it without further damage. Amanda will be just fine once her organs are replaced; I want the lungs sent in next." Dr. Jason Taylor never even looked up from what he was doing. I quickly hurried back to my OR to give Dr. Matteo the news.

"Dr. Taylor says the transplant team can have the heart. He wants the lungs next." A nurse helps me re-glove.

"Very well, Dr. Steele. Answer this. Who performed the first successful organ transplant?" Seriously, of all the things to quiz me on. She knows my dad is Ray Steele, right?

"Dr. Joseph Murray and Dr. J. Hartwell Harrison performed the first successful kidney transplant in 1954 in Boston. The donor was the recipient's identical twin brother, so there was no fear of immune-system rejection." This is third grade trivia.

"Very good, someone paid attention in med school." I hate the condescending way she says it.

"Actually Doctor, I learned that when I was six. My father was obsessed with making further strides in transplant medicine and reducing rejection." I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes behind my mask.

She removes the left lung and then promptly the right one placing them in the metal sterile bowls to be transported to Amanda's OR. "Dr. Holloway, will you transport the lungs please? Steele, you're up. Tell me about your father some more and I'll let you remove the right kidney."

Seriously?! I get to remove the kidney? "Okay. What would you like to know?" Famous last words.

"Why did your dad leave Seattle to begin with if he was just going to come back here?"

I'm conscious of the others in the room, making a quick pass around the OR to note just exactly who is present, my eyes dart up to the observation gallery trying to gage if anyone is up there and listening too. Being careful with my words, I take a deep breath and I try to answer as best I can. "I can't tell you what was going through my Dad's mind specifically, but I know that he wanted to have greater research options and Boston gave him that. He earned his first Mason Jackson award while he was there. We only stayed there for about four years before he was enticed to New York and we stayed in New York for nearly six before they came back here."

"Why did he come back? I've heard rumors, but I want to know what you have to say." Seriously, what fucking rumors?

"Seattle offered him a research lab on a much larger scale. He was promised the chance to completely redesign the way cardiovascular medicine was taught in a surgical setting. Plus, my understanding is that he was also promised the Chief of Surgery position when Chief Keller retired. He liked the idea of coming full circle and back to the place where his career started." By this point I had both my hands wrapped around the kidney. The clamp had been placed and it was time to cut it out.

I continued to work as she threw question after question at me. "Why did you come here if you were already promised research time at Mayo?"

"Because I wanted to be someplace my dad had been. Mayo was a great opportunity, but I was promised the same access here. Seattle is home. I may not have been back here in the last ten years, but this has always been home. I grew up in these halls. I never had an uncertainty as to what I would do when I grew up. I've always wanted to be a surgeon like my father."

I placed the kidney in the bowl next to the left one, and watched the other intern, whose name I can't remember, carry it to the other OR.

"You didn't want to be a socialite like your mother?" Ugh, seriously!?

"No. I hate country clubs."

"Tell me about when you were at school." Why can't she just stop talking? She moves to start removing the other organs that will be transported to various hospitals around the country.

"I attended Pre-Med at Columbia and went to Harvard for Med School." I have no clue what it is she wants me to tell her. It's not like we're going to be lifelong friends.

"I heard you graduated at the top of your class at Harvard." She actually sounds impressed.

"I did."

"Then tell me the truth. Did you really come here so that you could rekindle your romance with Dr. Sawyer? Everyone has already heard how you were practically engaged before breaking up when he left for med school at Yale." I knew it was coming.

"No, I didn't even know he was a resident at this hospital until I showed up. It would have kept me at Mayo. It's true, I did date Dr. Sawyer for two years in college. I thought we were going to get married, but he thought differently. I didn't spend the last five years pining away after him. I moved on. I came here, not knowing he was here. Now he, and everyone except a select few, seems to think that we're getting back together and destined to be together. I don't care for the gossip and I don't like that my life is playing out like an episode of General Hospital for all to see. I just want him to leave me alone and let me learn everything I need in order to be the greatest surgeon this hospital has seen since my father." Taking deep breaths, I drop the small intestine into a waiting bag to be placed in a cooler and chartered to San Francisco.

"That's a bold statement for such a little girl. There are many doctors in this hospital including the youngest ever Mason Jackson award winner. Yet, you think you'll be the greatest practitioner of modern medicine since your father."

"I will where pediatric surgery is concerned. That's all that matters to me." She places a section of the colon into another bag, this organ going to Cheyenne.

"Do you think you'll get where you want to be by riding the coat tails of both Dr. Greys?" Seriously?! What is this woman's problem?

Gritting my teeth, I answer Dr. Matteo, "Dr. Grace Grey was a close family friend when I was growing up. She is the one that recruited me to come here. She was like a second mother when I was younger. I don't think that I'm attaching myself to her name in order to get ahead in the program."

"No, but sleeping with your attending is." Now I'm pissed.

"I met Dr. Grey after I had accepted the program, and before I realized he was my mentor's son and a doctor at this hospital. My relationship with Christian has no bearing on my education or placement in the program. We know the rules. I don't need him to be a great doctor."

"Your relationship?" She arches an eyebrow at me as she goes to remove the stomach. "You say that like you and Dr. Grey are dating."

"We are dating." I take delight in watching her freeze when that nugget of truth hits her. It appears the Dragon Lady thought I had just thawed Christian's dick.

"Dr. Steele go inform Mr. Mabry's mother that everything has gone as well as possible. She may come back as soon as I'm done closing him up and say her "goodbyes" before the morgue comes to collect his body." I've been dismissed. I walk to the scrub room to remove my surgical gown and rescrub before exiting the OR in search of my patient's mother.

Christian's POV

"Hey dickweed!" I really should pay more attention to my caller ID when it rings.

"What do you want now Elliot?" I'm back in my office after my failed craniotomy. The minute I removed the skull flap we found a hemorrhage that wouldn't clot. We tried unsuccessfully for 25 minutes to save the patient before we called time of death.

"I wanted to tell you it's a good thing that Dad sent over an investigator to watch the house for Ana, man. Her security is shit. There are these motion alarms on the windows that don't work unless the window is actually opened. They don't sense cracked glass. The backdoor alarm was actually disabled for some reason. There is no security wired to the garage at all. Entering from there leaves the whole house wide open. The locks on both the front and the back doors should have been replaced ten years ago too. Her front door and back door themselves, are both old and need updated. You should probably tell her that she had a leak in her downstairs bathroom under the sink. I fixed it, but the cabinet should really be replaced, it's old and starting to rot." And this is why I let my brother still hang around me. He knows what I needed and he took care of it for me.

"Anything else? I don't want to do anything without talking to Ana first. We might have only started dating, but I know she'll have my balls if I do anything to her house without talking to her first."

"All I did was reconnect the alarm to the back door, and change the locks. I might have jammed a screwdriver in the garage door as well so no one can open it. I'm telling you though; if someone wants to get in they just need to bust a window." I don't like that at all, however I doubt she'll let me upgrade her security and windows for her.

"Thanks El. I'll talk to her and see what she wants to do. She's not schedule off till tomorrow night and we have a date then. If I call you on Wednesday, what kind of time frame are we talking about?"

"I measured the windows before I left. I'll call and see if my supplier has them all on hand. If so, I can have it done by Friday, and that includes the bathroom cabinet."

"I'll have her call you. I'm hoping that I can see her before I leave tonight. I promised I would have dinner with dad tonight. Mom is on-call and I hear our little sister has gone to LA for the week." Mia is the same age as Ana and she's never worked a day in her life.

"Dude, I almost hate to say this, but I'll be glad when some unfortunate fuck marries her. Her trust fund is going to run out before she's thirty, and it's only lasting that long because you and I added to it last year. I mean gifting our baby sister some money is a nice tax write-off, but she needs to grow up. She's still living with mom and dad and going to ragers every weekend. When does it stop?"

"Hell, if I know Elliot. We've had this discussion before. Just think how bad it would have been if I hadn't convinced dad to change the maturity on the trust to thirty instead of when she's twenty-five years old. She'd have blown through all five million by now. You know she called me last week because the card dad gave her has a daily limit and she "just had to have" these shoes that cost more than her whole limit. It wasn't, "hey, I bought lunch and a few dresses I'm gonna max out after taxes", it was "these shoes are the latest from Milan and only three pair exist. I need them so that I can make all my friends jealous"." The screeched that came from her when I said no was animalistic in a "prepare to be slaughtered" kind of way.

"Dude, she called me for the same damn thing. Did she yell at you and tell you that you were dead to her when you said no?"

I chuckle because I seem to be the only one that ever hears my sister's sailor tongue. "Nope, she roared at me and told me all the ways she was going to force me to fuck myself. Why do you think she wouldn't talk to me that much at dinner on Sunday? She thought her patented "Chrissy, please," would work again. But I'm not buying her $12,000 shoes."

"We should have another talk with mom and dad while she's in LA. At the very least she ought to be volunteering if she's not going to work." I can hear the tiredness from this topic seeping through his voice.

"We can try, but you know it'll go over like a warm flat beer, just like it did the last time. Dad hates taking money advice from anyone, even Grandpa." I shudder thinking of the last time I tried to talk to our Dad about Mia's selfish spoiled behavior and spending habits.

"Alright. I'm hanging onto the key till I see Ana tonight. I'll call you when we're done and let you know how it goes." Like usual, Elliot hangs up before I can even say goodbye.

Glancing at my clock I note that the time is almost 1 pm. I set about the task of completing some charts before my 3 pm consult.

Ana's POV

I knew that coming back to Seattle, and to Seattle General Hospital, that I would be compared to my father everywhere I turned. I knew that I would constantly have to prove myself, but today has been trying.

After taking Mrs. Mabry to her son, I walked to Jason and Gail's OR and sat in the gallery and watched the transplant in progress. I've always been amazed with how the body works. Being a doctor makes us mechanics in a way. Our bodies are our cars. Our brain, the computer running said car. Our heart is the motor, our lungs are the starter. Each organ has a proper function just like each part in a car. When a part is worn or broken you visit your local mechanic to get it repaired before it does more damage to wear out the good parts. Sometimes, you have to leave your car in the shop for a few days.

The hospital is the shop, and I am your mechanic. Sixty years ago, replacing an organ wasn't something so easily done. Today, however, thanks to UNOS, the organization that governs organ transplants, it is easier to accomplish. What is fascinating about the body is the individuality of each one. There are markers that are needed to insure against transplanted organ rejection. It's like year, make and model for your car. Instead it starts with blood type and size of the organ, and there is a degree of immune-system matching between donor and recipient that is necessary. Then you get to the nitty gritty.

Who gets an organ first? That depends on several things. How long has the patient been on the list? What is the severity of the patient's condition? How close is the patient to the donor? Is the patient an adult or a child? All these are important things that are taken into consideration when an organ becomes available. Amanda was lucky. Her donor was brought here and Jason and Gail were able to convince Mrs. Mabry to direct her son's organs to Amanda before they were available to UNOS.

Like I said, to me, it's interesting as hell. Seriously though, imagine doing that on tiny little humans. Children with organs half the size of an adult's, even an infant, who's heart is no bigger than my thumb. I want to do that. I want to heal the sick ones that can't talk or advocate for themselves and I want to do it as minimally invasive as possible. A two-year-old who's already having a hard time, not being able to run around because of a large murmur, shouldn't have to deal with a month long hospital stay and scar that stretches the whole length of their chest. At least not if I can minimize their recovery time and their scars.

That's what the Da Vinci Surgical System is for. I spent my entire second year looking for ways to optimize the robot in pediatric surgery. The summer between my second and third year of med school allowed me to help with the programs on the machine. I actually helped develop protocols for a few of the procedures. A year ago, spinal surgery on a child younger than ten required a near six-inch incision along their spine; now almost all pediatric spinal procedures can be conducted with no more than three small half inch incisions. I want to do more, especially with minor heart repair procedures, but I promised to complete my intern year before venturing any further past the research library.

Now I find myself, sitting behind the desk of the nurses' station watching the monitors with Amanda's vitals. Looking at my watch I note that I only have about five minutes before I need to leave and head home to meet with Elliot and Kate.

"Ana, you better run if you're going to get things taken care of with that fruit loop." I look up to see Gail standing in front of the desk. When we moved Amanda back into her room, I spilled the beans while we sat and watched her vitals.

"I was just about to text you. I'll be back in an hour and then you can head home for the night. Which residents are on call with me again?"

"Matteo is the attending on call, Fox and Bailey are the residents on call. I'm not sure how many of you interns there are, but I'm sure you'll find ways to occupy yourself." Her grin leaves me a little leery about tonight. Bailey is the only doctor in tonight's rotation that I've worked with.

"I'm studying for the next appendectomy. When I'm selected to fly solo, I want to show everyone just how great I am."

Gail's laugh catches me off guard at its volume as it erupts from her belly. "Steele, you do realize they don't give the best intern the procedure, don't you? More often than the not, it's given to the cockiest and least likely to succeed. It serves as a tool to knock the intern down a peg or two. Word on the street is that Luke never even got to cut the appendix out before his resident had to step in. If I have to guess who in your intern class will get the procedure, it's gonna be Blake Ryan. He's cocky like Luke. Jason said he was selected when it was his intern year. He dropped the appendix on the floor and then ripped the stitches three times before his resident stepped in." Jason, a cocky intern, I don't believe it.

"Okay. I've got to run. I'll talk to you later." I grab my keys off the desk and rush to the parking lot. Jose dropped the keys off while I was in surgery and left them for me. My stomach feels like it's holding a lead balloon the whole way to the house. I've not spoken to Christian since I left him after our trip to HR.

I'm three blocks from the house when a kid darts out in front of me on his bike. The boy doesn't appear more than eight and I'm silently cursing that he's not wearing a helmet at least. I slam my hand on the steering wheel thankful that I was able to stop before hitting him. I suck in a hiss of breath when I remember the bruising around my wrist from Luke. I'll have to have Jose look at it when I get back to the hospital. Then I need to call Christian. I'm thankful that I had worn this long sleeve tee under my scrub top today. It tends to get chilly in the immune-suppression wing. I watch the kid safely ride back onto the sidewalk before I finish driving the three blocks to the house.

Pulling up to the house, I note the big yellow truck I was told to look for. There is dark older model sedan across the road and a few houses down, but I don't see any sign on Kate yet. I'm right on time, so that means that she's going to be late like always.

"Hey Ana Banana." Elliot hops down out of his truck and I get the full idea and reasoning behind Grace's ban on the Big Bird mobile. Elliot is in a pair of ripped jeans covered in saw dust. His orange and blue plaid shirt, the top three buttons undone, has the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. There is what appears to be a grease smear across his face and on one of his shoulders. Then I look at his boots. Those things must weigh fifty pounds, because I'm sure that is cement caked around them.

"Elliot, did you step in something?" He looks at me quizzically and when he looks down at his boots; I see the man bun in his hair and I can't help but laugh at him.

"Oh, that. I had to pour some cement to level the patio at the Kirkland house I'm working on for Christian today." I'm not sure what he's talking about with Christian, but I leave it for something to talk about when we go out tomorrow night.

"I see why Grace doesn't want the Big Bird mobile at the house. I'm not sure what I want to deal with less, the mess from you or Kate's crazy tirade that I know is coming."

Elliot is howling, slapping his knee and bent over laughing when I finally see Kate pull onto our block. "Big Bird mobile. I'll have to tell mom that one. It's actually a Tonka edition Ford F150, fully loaded with a six-inch lift."

"It was that or little weenie mobile. I mean that is one large truck, you must be trying to overcompensate for something." I walk up to the porch and wait for Kate to join us.

Elliot's smile falls as I walk past him. "You're cold Steele. Before I forget here are the new keys and before you head back to the hospital there are a few things I want to talk about that I noticed while I was here this morning."

We're only on the porch moments before we are joined by Kate. When she exits her car, she's paying more attention to her phone than where she's walking. I take note of her red power suit with a black tank top underneath. Her blonde hair is pulled back in a loose twist with several tendrils falling around her face.

"Oh, hey guys. Elliot, what are you doing here?" She's acting like there isn't anything wrong.

"I needed to drop Ana's new keys off to her." I watch her eyes register and flick to the new upgraded lock on the front door."

"That's so sweet of you Elliot. I told Ana we needed to upgrade these locks last week. They were so old and I was scared something would happen while I was alone and she and Jose were at work. Thank you for doing that for us. I just need to pack a bag. I'm staying the night with this guy I've been seeing. I don't like being alone in the house at night." Is this woman for real? Did she forget that she came onto Christian last night and put me down? Or that I wouldn't have told Elliot the real reason for changing my locks?

"Kate, darlin', you are some kind of crazy. My brother called me before seven this morning asking me to come change Ana's locks because she was kicking you out. I don't know why, and it's not my business, you…" Elliot looks a little lost for words, "Well I'm just here to make sure you don't cause to much trouble for Ana while you pack."

I finish unlocking the door and push it open waiting for Kate to enter, no way am I going to leave my back open for her knife.

"Ana, I don't understand this. Can we please talk about this in private?" She looks absolutely embarrassed by what Elliot said.

"Elliot, there're drinks in the fridge if you want to help yourself." I wait for him to leave while I stand inside the closed front door. "What do you want Kate? You should be using this time to pack. I've got to leave in 45 minutes and you won't be able to come back until Wednesday afternoon."

"I want to know why you are doing this. We've always been able to work things out. This can't really be because of dinner last night. I was only trying to look out for you. Grey is an emotionally damaged man. You need to give Luke another chance. You never got over him."

Holding my hand up to stop her I tell her everything I've been holding for the last 24 hours. "I got over Luke three months after he dumped me. I've been over him for five years. As for Christian, its none of your concern. Now I'll tell you why I'm doing this. I woke up this morning hearing you and Luke talking in the hallway by my bedroom door. I don't know what your deal is, but I'm over it. I'm with Christian, and I'm not getting back together with Luke. I heard everything you two said after he claimed he should have taken the job in Vegas. Whatever is going on with your family is not my concern."

"Not your concern?! It's your entire fault, but I'm not allowed to talk about it. I'm going to my room, to grab a few things. This will all blow over in a few days and you'll see how wrong you are right now." I watch her heel clad feet stomp up the stairs and to her room.

Walking to the kitchen I take note of Elliot sitting at the island with a beer in one hand and eating a bag of chips. "You know, I remember you two staying over with Mia when I was in high school. You were the typical annoying little girls. Mia was the loud and hyper one; you were reserved and quiet. You took in everything around you. Then there was the crazy bitch. Even when she was only ten, I knew she was going to grow up to be a bossy little bully. I bet she's been the alpha in your friendship since you showed up in the same dorm room together. Now, you've come here and you're emerging as a little alpha yourself. Mom says you're going to run the hospital one day if she can keep other hospitals from luring you away. You got that crazy inheritance from your dad and your mom set you up with this sweet place. To top it all off, you've got the one man every woman in Seattle wants. You've managed to heal the broken heart of the poor widowed rock star Doctor Christian Grey. That girl is jealous and if you don't watch her, she's going to start boiling bunnies and go single white female on you."

Elliot takes one last drag of his beer before rising from his stool and tossing the bottle in the trash. I hear something directly above us and I'm little intrigued. The room directly above the kitchen is my own, so why am I hearing noises coming from there. Elliot's watching me with a curious expression and then I hear the crash of glass and I'm racing toward the stairs.

I just make it to the top of the landing when Elliot pulls me behind him. "Little bitty, you're gonna get me in trouble if she does anything to you. Stay behind me please." He doesn't wait for a reply before turning toward my room. As we walk past Kate's bedroom door, I see a suitcase laid open with clothes and heels thrown in haphazardly. Reaching my room, we see the door only open about an inch. Elliot uses an arm to hold me behind him before pushing the door open. Kate is in the middle of my bed ripping pillows. There are feathers floating in the air and looking to the ground at the end of the bed I see the source of the crash we heard.

There settled on my rug are the shards of the engraved frame she had gotten me when we graduated from Columbia. A pile of my clothes have mounted outside of my closet and I can't tell if she's done anything other than throw them on the ground. "You, crazy bitch. You just get it all don't you." Kate's voice is shrill and her eyes are a thunderous sea green as she hops down off my bed and stalks toward me. I try to move further into the room, but Elliot grabs me around the waist stopping me from lunging at her. "Ana, go call my dad and the police. You know she's not going to leave quietly. I'm going to try and stop her before she does any more damage." Elliot's voice is full of demand and I snap to attention and make my way downstairs.

After contacting both Carrick and the police, I send a text to Gail letting her know I will most likely be late. I have to sit and wait fifteen minutes before the cops show up and they are promptly followed by Carrick.

I don't have to give much information to the police other than my contact info. Carrick takes care of the rest of it for me. I decide to have Carrick file for an official restraining order in the morning. In the meantime, I told the officers that Kate could go free for tonight. I wouldn't be pressing charges, yet. I just wanted her to leave. We've set a time for Wednesday at 3pm for her to come get the rest of things. She will be allowed two hours. Carrick will be here along with an officer to make sure that nothing else like this happens.

I'm sitting on my front porch steps, watching everyone leave my house one by one, Kate being the first to go.

"Ana, I'll take all this to the courthouse in the morning. I'll send you a message to let you know when it's done and then one of my interns will serve her a copy and bring a copy over to you. If you have any questions don't hesitate to call me." Carrick pats me on the shoulder before walking down the stone path to his car waiting at the curb.

"Ana, you think that your pal would mind if I slept in his bed tonight? I don't want to leave this place unattended with the shit security you've got." I listen for another five minutes as Elliot tells me what I need to do in order to upgrade the security in the house. I give him the go ahead to stay and make a list with his suggestions of what needs to be done. While his crew is in the house over the next few days, he's going to look over the house and see if there is anything structural I should look into updating now.

"Elliot, I appreciate everything you've done for me tonight. I've got to get back to the hospital. I was supposed to have been back ten minutes ago so that Gail could have the night off. I've got a date tomorrow night with your brother and if I want to stay on Gail's good side and not get stuck at the hospital, I've to get back." I lean up on my tip toes and place a kiss to his cheek, but Elliot being Elliot, doesn't let the gesture go unanswered without one of his own. He grabs me up in a bear hug and places a kiss to the top of my head when he sets me back down on my feet.

"Be sure and tell my brother hi if you see him." I leave Elliot and his Tonka truck to head back to the hospital and my patient.

I know one thing for sure tonight; when I see Katherine Kavanagh again I'm going to bitch slap the hell out of her. She went full on _Waiting to Exhale_ on me and plays like she's the victim. I'm huffing and sighing with a sense of melancholy because on top of everything else, she tore my favorite Mr. Sleep pillow too.


	8. Ch8: It's high school all over again

**A/N: So, this is late and I apologize. I started this chapter over the weekend, and I had the chapter finished last night and went to press the save button and my laptop froze. After five minutes, it finally restarted. When I got back into Word, I discovered my Autosave had not been working. The last file I was able to recover only contained a third of the chapter. I think it's a little better this way though. It's a very light-hearted chapter, with a bit of WOAH coming from Ana in the middle.**

 **This chapter is unbeta-ed. The mistakes within are entirely my own. Gate Park is awesome but I didn't feel comfortable putting her in a position to rush the chapter so that I could meet my posting schedule.**

 **As always, check my bio. Lots of information listed there.**

 **I don't own FSOG. I don't own Grey's Anatomy. However, I'm loving being able to mash the two of them together. Next chapter is gonna be steamy.**

 **Laters,**

Grey Vitals

 **Chapter 8**

Ana's POV

It's Tuesday finally. That means that I get to go home this afternoon and take a nap before my first official date with Christian. Gail returned about an hour ago, thanking me for holding down the fort while she was gone. Apparently, her and Jason had decided to drive over to Bainbridge for dinner and spent the night doing the sort of things I hope to be doing with Christian tonight.

Before anyone can say anything about not putting out on the first date, let me remind you, I slept with Christian the first night I met him. I screwed his brains out yesterday before my shift started. I want to get to know him and develop a meaningful relationship with him, however, that doesn't mean that I have to become celibate in order to do so. After rounds this morning, I spent an hour getting to know Gail more. I can't wait for this weekend. She's decided to stay over at my place Saturday night, forcing Jason and Christian to spend quality time together without us.

Jose was all for girls and tequila night when I told him about it. He's decided to spend some time this week building the perfect playlist. He's also declared that the liquor shopping be left to him. Really though, I think he plans to ply me with the good booze so that he can convince me to let him move into Kate old room now that she's gone.

Which brings me to the next thorn in my side. It's only eleven am and already my mother is pissing me off. She's apparently found out about the restraining order that Kate was served with this morning. I can't say that I'm surprised, but I was shocked that she wanted me to call my lawyer back and withdraw my complaint. She even threatened to kick me out of my own house. I am so thankful that she had the foresight to actually transfer the deed to me the day I graduated from Harvard. She has no standing now. There is something going on, and I have no clue what it is, but I'm not going to let it bother me. This is going to be a great day.

Checking the last of Amanda's vitals, I make my notes in her chart before finding a nurse. Jason has chosen to keep her mildly sedated until we've passed the 48-hour post-op mark with her. "Hannah, I need the Foley bag replaced on Amanda Perez, and Michael Swagger in 621 has requested a sponge bath." I finish writing out the orders for each of my patients and see that Hannah Lane, RN is still standing in front of me. I have no clue what her problem is, but she's never bothered to hide her dislike for me since I started at the hospital.

Hannah Lane is a nurse about the same age as me, though she looks drastically younger with her short brunette pixie cut. She has no problem letting her hazel eyes bore holes into my head as I move around the floor. "Is there something that I can help you with Hannah?"

She shakes her head as if to dispel the thoughts she was having. "No, Dr. Steele. I'll get right on that." She turns on her heels and saunters away, looking back over her shoulder at me once before entering Mr. Swagger's room.

"You know why she hates you don't you?" I turn to the voice at my left and see Dr. Bailey standing next to me, going over Amanda's chart herself.

"No, I don't know. She's not hiding her hatred though. It's only a matter of time until she tells me." Dr. Bailey flips the chart closed and puts it on the stand before clicking her pen closed and turning her full gaze on me.

"Steele, I think it's time you and I had lunch. Come with me." She doesn't wait for a reply before she heads to the elevator. I scurry after her, checking my pocket to ensure my pager is there. Once we're ensconced in the elevator, she starts talking. "I've been at this hospital three years. It's the same as Hannah, and the same as Dr. Sawyer. The reason that Hannah hates you is actually widely known in this hospital. Our first year here, we had a syphilis outbreak among the hospital staff. For a bunch of people working in the medical field, you would think they would all be smart enough to use a damn condom. Anyway, there has been plenty of speculation, but the unconfirmed theory is that Hannah was patient zero. She gave your boy Luke the Pox, and he in turn gave it to six others and so on and so on. Hannah is even less picky than Luke is when it comes to who they will sleep with and where. She finally moved on from Luke last year after the fourth floor heard him screaming Ana in a janitor's closet while he was with her. Since then she's set her sight on Dr. Grey, like the majority of this hospital." She's as nonchalant as can be while she speaks and I can't believe what I am hearing.

Jose referred to someone as a "Skanky Syph Nurse" the other day, but I never got to ask who he was talking about. As for Luke, well, I'm going to leave that one alone. Thankfully I've not seen him since the stairwell yesterday. I'm going to have to tell Christian about it tonight, but I'm hoping to avoid it all together. I had Jose check my wrist yesterday, it's only a deep bruise, no sprain. Thank goodness.

We reach the bottom floor and Dr. Bailey beckons me out of the elevator with the crook of a finger. "I'm telling you these things for a reason Steele. This hospital is actually high school all over again. You being buddies with Grace Grey makes you a teacher's pet. Being the girl to finally mend Christian Grey's sad widowed heart makes you the new girl bagging the quarterback and moving in on the cheer squad's territory. You've got a handful of contenders that would love to see you fail at everything. Hannah Lane is one of them. While Christian Grey has never even looked her way, she's been known to wax poetic about their future children at the nurses' station. Then you have the Dragon Lady, Dr. Gia Matteo. That woman believes she's God's gift to man. She's insanely hot, but even I won't lick her crazy." Seriously, WTF am I hearing? "Pick your jaw up Steele. Yes, I am gay. There are a number of us working here that are. I tend to be one of the few that believe you don't shit where you eat though. Back to what I need to tell you now."

I follow her into the canteen line and grab a turkey sandwich, banana, and a bottle of orange juice. Swiping my card at the register I stay two steps behind her as she leads me to a table near the water wall. "So, here's the rest of the bitch squad you need to watch out for. Bethany Walker, she's the only holdover left from Christian's intern class. She thinks that gives her a dibs on the boy wonder. Our esteemed Chief Resident, Elizabeth Morgan, she's just got a major crush that started the day she laid eyes on him. She's focusing on Neuro and operates under the notion that doing so puts her in first place for his affections. Last but not least, the dark horse and the one that you need to watch the closest, Olivia Blandino." She takes another bite of her sandwich and I try to figure out who she's talking about.

"I know all the other women, believe it or not this isn't the first time I've been told to watch my back with them, but who is Olivia?" I finish the last of my banana and raise an eyebrow in question.

"You need to get out of the research library more often Steele. Seriously, have you not paid attention to any of your classmates. Olivia's the blonde bimbo on Sawyer's intern team." I sit and work on my sandwich while I try to picture the woman in question.

"I'm trying to picture her, but I can't. I stay away from all things Luke. There is a reason we aren't together and it's going to stay that way, no matter what he may think. Why would I need to worry about another intern though?" This has got me stumped.

"Because she's the daughter of Senator Blandino and he's the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and is in charge of government funding for medical research. Now that Dr. Grey has marketed his miracle tumor serum, rumor has it he needs $26 million from the government to match his private investors and hospital grant to start his brain mapping project. Dr. Blandino wants Dr. Grey and it's a well-known fact that she gets what she wants. It also doesn't help your cause that Olivia carries her father's balls in her mother's purse." Dr. Bailey takes one last bite of her sandwich before looking me in the eyes, holding me captive in her gaze. "The reason I'm telling you these things is because I think that you can be a great doctor. You just can't let the bitch squad and the quarterback distract you from your goals. Plus, I need you to have your eye on the prize. You're my ticket to Chief Resident, Steele." With that last statement Bailey tossed her napkin on her tray and left the cafeteria.

I sat pondering her last words. She's up front and honest. She wasn't telling me anything to help me, but so that I would watch my back and focus on the medicine. She has a goal and being the Resident in charge of a star intern would give her a step above everyone else. Taking my own tray and putting it away I decide to hunt down Jose and see if he'll be ready to leave in a few hours with me.

I reach the surgical floor knowing he'll be around here somewhere. Stopping to ask a nurse where Dr. Rodriguez is, I'm pointed in the direction of the on-call room. That lazy ass bitch is off shift in three hours and he can't wait till then to take a nap? Marching to the on-call room I don't hesitate to open the door.

"Jose Miguel Rodriguez get your sexi mexi ass up out of that….." Seriously, WHAT THE FUCK?! Oh, seriously, I need brain bleach after seeing this. Seriously, shit. Fuck. Seriously, oh God!

"Ana!" Jose pulls out of whoever he has bent over the end of the bed and makes a full turn before he pulls his scrub pants up. Shit! Shit! Shit.

"Jose, your pants!" I've never wanted to see Jose's dick before and now that I have, I wish I hadn't.

"Dios Mio, Ana! Don't you know how to knock?" I peer over his shoulder and see Dr. Fox just as he's pulled his pants up and I can't stop the chuckle building up inside of me.

"Seriously, you two had better see HR before you get in trouble. I won't say anything, but that old nurse who can never find her glasses on top of her head pointed out where you were. No telling who else saw you. I'm off shift in two hours Jose, I expect to see you waiting in the locker room for me." I don't wait for a response, I just leave the two lovers standing as I shake my head and try to forget the images that are now playing on loop in my head.

Christian's POV

Shit, I don't think I was even this nervous about a date in my life. I was nervous the first time I took Leila out, but not like this. Checking my watch for the umpteenth time, I curse myself for running late. I wanted everything to be perfect tonight and my stop at the florist took longer than I expected it to. The clerk was almost no help at all. She wouldn't stop staring at me and batting her eyes. I wanted to pick out the flowers for Ana myself, but she was determined to push her opinion on me about every stem in the shop.

I wanted something different. Something unique like Ana. The clerk only wanted to show me red roses. I've always hated red roses. Cliché and should only be given when you have no imagination. My grandmother would rise from her grave to strike me down if I bought red roses for any woman, ever. No, Ana needed something she's most likely never received before. I found the perfect blooms in a small bucket in the corner hidden behind some giant baby's breath bundles. Purple ranunculus blooms, perfect. I have the clerk wrap them in matching purple tissue and quickly pay.

When I get to Ana's house, I notice that her car isn't there, and I can only assume that Jose has it. Walking to the porch, flowers in hand, I take stock of myself to make sure that I look okay. It's unseasonably cold for a June evening in Seattle, more like February weather. I have reservations for a table on the lake in the Six Seven restaurant at the Edgewater Hotel. I have on a light gray tweed suit, with a marron sweater under the jacket, over a white button up and black tie.

Taking a final deep breath, I ring the door bell and wait for her to answer. I'm not left waiting for long and when she answers the door, I release the breath I didn't realize I was holding. She's perfection personified. She looks radiant. "Ana, you look, wow." It's all I can say. She's in a purple sweater dress and a pair of knee high black boots. She dressed for the chilled weather as well. "These are for you." I hand her the flowers quickly for fear I'll drop them and crush them as I fight the urge to pull her to me.

"Thank you. Come on in so I can put these in some water." She steps to the side to allow me inside and closes the door behind me, sending me a shy smile on her way to the kitchen to get a vase I suppose. "You look really good Christian. I didn't know exactly what you had planned, but with the temperature dropping I decided to dress a little warmer than usual."

"You look phenomenal baby." I can't help but place my hands on her hips as I slide up behind her as she fills the vase with water. Pulling her hair back over her shoulder I place a small kiss to her neck and feel her shiver against me. "If we don't leave soon, we'll miss our reservation and I'll spend the next 24 hours fucking you senseless." I place another kiss to the skin behind her ear before I step back.

When Ana turns around the lust is evident in her eyes and she's biting that delectable lip. "Can we skip dinner?"

I bite back a groan as I grab her hand and pull her toward the door. "No. As much as I want to spend my night buried inside of you Anastasia, I want to take you out and get to know you some more. I want a real relationship with you, not just sex." I stop at the door letting her grab her handbag and her phone before escorting her to the car.

The drive to the restaurant takes twenty minutes and we spend it talking about the hospital and our current cases. The hostess is quick to seat us, and as I had requested, we're right on the water's edge. "This view is amazing Christian. How did you find this place?"

"Believe it or not, my mother recommended it. I wanted something a little different and something that wouldn't be too crowded. I was serious when I said that I wanted to spend the evening get to know you better." I reach across the table and hold her hand, hoping that my smile shows how genuine I really am.

Just then the server shows up to introduce himself and it takes all the restraint I have to not punch him out. He is blatantly staring at Ana, checking her out. She's beautiful, I get it dude, I really do, but she's mine.

I order a bottle of wine and we ask for a few minutes to go over the menu. "What looks good to you baby?"

Ana peeks over the top of her menu, holding my gaze when she answers, "You about ready to turn into a caveman. Food wise though, I want the cedar plank king salmon with a caesar salad."

Before I can reply, the server returns with our wine and pours a glass for each of us. I quickly rattle off our orders so he'll scurry away and give me some privacy with Ana.

"What's your favorite and least favorite color?" Ana takes a sip of her wine as I ponder her question?

"My favorite color is Harvard crimson, I hate Princeton orange. What about you?"

She smiles broadly when she answers, "Harvard Crimson is my favorite color as well. Not red, crimson, I've never been able to get my mother to understand that one. Second best is purple in any shade. I hate the color pink, my mother's favorite."

"Favorite movie growing up." I pick the next topic and I'm grinning like a fool.

"Weird Science. I had a huge crush on Anthony Michael Hall. I have a thing for 80's movies. You?"

"Elliot and I were obsessed with Kelly LeBrock. We tried wearing bras on our heads during a thunderstorm once and hooked dad's battery charger to one of Mia's Barbies. We never got our magical model girlfriend. My favorite though has to be Dead Poet's Society. Oh Captain, my Captain." I smile thinking of the trouble we got into when our mother found us wearing her finest white lace and Mia crying over the burn marks on her new doll.

"Carpe Diem. What's your least favorite food? Mine is brussel sprouts. Dad loved them, but no matter how they are fixed, I hate them." I can't stop smiling at this girl.

"I don't know that anyone really likes them so much as they force themselves to eat them for their health benefits. I hate mushrooms. I couldn't even stand the smell of them growing up. Now I'm okay, just don't let me find one mixed in my food after I start eating. Football or baseball?"

"Dad would kill me, but football. I get bored watching baseball. But the real truth is, which team is your favorite?" Her eyes are sparkling up at me as she asks me.

"I was raised a Seahawks fan. However, I was born in Detroit, so I like to cheer for the Lions as well. What about you? Did you become a New York fan while you were there?" I see the mirth cross her face as she sets her wine glass and levels a stare at me that I'm sure she learned from my mother.

"Hell no. Seahawks all the way. Besides, Eli Manning is a little too big for his britches. He's got a chip on his shoulder trying to play in his brother's shadow." She's deadly serious and now I can't wait for football season to start.

"Dad has a box at Century Link Field. You'll have to come to the games with us. It's a huge family event. I'll warn you though, jerseys and jeans are required. We drink beer and eat fattening stadium food when we're there. It's the only time Mom lets us eat like that."

She's grinning when she looks at me. "You won't get jealous when I show us in my Russell Wilson jersey?" Shit, I bet she looks hot in it.

"Can I take you home and see you in nothing but the jersey after the game?" My cock is straining against my zipper and we've not even been served our salads yet. Before she can answer me though, the server shows up with said salads. I really don't like this fucker.

Waiting for him to leave I arch an eyebrow at her, "Well?"

"Of course. I should warn you though, it will mean absolutely nothing but that jersey." I groan as she spears a piece of lettuce with her fork and raises it to her lips.

We spend much of the meal going back and forth getting to know each other bit by bit. She finds one question though that throws me for a loop. "If being a doctor hadn't been a choice, what would you have been?" I don't think anyone has even asked me that question. I've wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember.

Setting my fork and knife down I look at my ribeye and ponder her question. I look up at her and tilt my head just a bit trying to find a way to tell her. "I've only thought of being a doctor and healing people since I was a teenager. I had laser focus. I wanted to find a cure for cancer, I wanted to heal people like my grandmother. She passed before I made it to med school, but I accomplished my goal. I remember as a small child, I loved being in her library with her. She and my grandfather had this massive collection of first edition classic novels. I would spend entire weekends with them so that they would read the books to me. Grandpa was a Professor at the University of Washington, literature. I wanted to be him until I saw what the cancer was doing to my grandmother."

I hadn't even realized I was crying until Ana reached across the table and brushed her thumb over my left cheek. "I double majored in English Literature. I almost forgot all about med school after Luke dumped me. I spent a semester trying to focus on something else, but Jose convinced me to not let the bastard dictate my life. So, I stayed the course and selected Harvard instead of Yale. But I never wanted to be anything other than just like Dad. If I had to do something else though, I'd want to work in publishing. Getting paid to read books and find the next great novel would be perfect."

Is there a more perfect girl in the world? We spend the next ten minutes in comfortable silence we finish our meals. "How does a walk sound?" The sun has set over Lake Washington and the park looks relatively quiet. As much as I want to make love to Ana, I'm not ready to retreat to the comfort of one of our homes.

"Sounds good. By the way Christian, can we go back to your place this evening? Jose is out on date as well tonight, and I don't want to risk being home and him coming back with Dr. Fox." I watch her shiver, and I think it's more in disgust than it is being chilled. I didn't take her for a homophobe.

"Jose having a date at the house bothers you?" Shaking her head, she closes her eyes and when she opens them she starts giggling. The laughing bubbles over and before she's bent over slightly trying to catch her breath.

"It bothers me Christian, but not for the reasons you think it does." She's wiping at her eyes, obvious tears having pooled from laughing so hard. "I walked into an on-call room this afternoon and found Jose buried balls deep inside of Boyce Fox. I have the images burned into my head, and as hot as the two of them are, that is something I never want to see again, or hear for that matter. Jose spent the entire drive home telling me how bad it was for him hearing us yesterday morning." Oh God! I can only imagine. I throw and arm around her shoulder as we stroll through the park, talking about more of our likes and dislikes. She tells me a little bit of what life was like for her while she was in New York, how much she misses Christmastime in NYC mainly. I vow to take her for a weekend this December. I've only ever been once and it was springtime. I would love to share the experience with her.

Soon dusk, turns to night and I realize we're the only ones left in the park. "Wanna come home with me, baby?" I'm holding Ana in my arms, hoping that she says yes. I want her to spend the night with her, however I'm afraid she'll hate my place.

"I thought you would never ask." I lean down and kiss her and say a little prayer she doesn't run the other way when I get her home.


	9. Ch 9:Home Sweet Home?

**A/N: So, I've been MIA for six weeks. Most of you know that I started out writing because I was bound to a bed and bored. Slowly, life began to get better, just like the original doctor told me it would. Then over the summer, things started happening again. Not all of you know what my health issues. But I'm about to explain some of them and why I physically couldn't type for a while.**

 **It was discovered last year I had two bulging disks. These disks caused all kinds of problems, including nerve pain. When things progressed, a new doctor failed to accurately read my medical notes before prescribing a medicine while my primary care doctor was on maternity leave. I started a new med that masked important symptoms and left me in the hospital for a week after a mini stroke. I am 33 years old and my life is ruled my medical condition. The problem is that my doctor doesn't know what the medical condition is.**

 **The first week of September, I started had symptoms again, very similar to what I experienced in February before being admitted to the hospital for stroke protocol. This time, I didn't experience any symptoms relating to my heart. Instead, I stuttered like an invalid and had whole body tremors that left me unable to walk or even feed myself. For a whole week, I couldn't do anything but lay in my bed and watch tv. I couldn't even read because I couldn't hold my phone, kindle, or book. My hands weren't steady enough to allow me to read. So, I couldn't even type. It was almost two weeks before my hands were steady enough to type a message to my beta and let her know what was going on.**

 **I thought I would get back to typing three weeks ago. Then it started again. Today, I experienced a battery of tests and await those results. We are still no closer to getting any answers, and insurance approval bureaucratic bullshit is causing the delay on some tests that are needed. The only thing that we've been able to definitely come up with is a severe vitamin b12 deficiency. There is a theory that the lack of b12 resulted in damage to the protective coating of my nerves. The doctor thinks the likely diagnosis will be MS when this is all said and done. I know it's going to be a long road, and we've chosen to deal with what we have right now. So, every morning I wake up and take medication for my nerve pain, and then the long list of vitamins, and then I do it again before I go to bed each night.**

 **This past week, I've only experienced the pain and headaches, no tremors. I had some mild stuttering yesterday, but it was gone when I woke up this morning. There is a lot more happening, but I wanted to tell you this much so that it was understood, I wasn't burnt out on writing, I wasn't trying to skirt around what I had promised. I have wanted to write and been physically unable to.**

 **Many of you have followed all three of my stories and have expressed concern and enthusiasm for the stories to continue. A few guest reviewers have been a little less understanding. One pointed out that I was what was wrong with FF. I promised two chapters to Submissive Beginning and then it was done. I made a promise and failed to follow through. She was right to a degree, but her delivery was uncalled for. If I had been able to do this every week I would have. I've spent so much time thinking about my stories and my plots. I want to write. I love to write. I'm actually participating in NaNoWriMo next month at the insistence of an old friend. I'm planning a story that is wholly original.**

 **So, this is my little gift to you. Next week I should be back to my original posting schedule, barring any other complications. I will not post Submissive Beginning on Friday, it's my daughter's birthday I've committed to a sleepover filled with 10 hormonal pre-teens. Wish me luck.**

 **See you Monday for A Steele Love.**

 **Disclaimer, I don't own FSoG or Grey's Anatomy. I sure like mashing it up though. My mistakes are my own, this chapter was totally un-beta-ed.**

Grey Vitals

 **Chapter 9: Home Sweet Home?**

Ana's POV

Christian has been driving for nearly forty-five minutes. I realized I had fallen asleep at some point when we were exiting a ferry boat. Finally deciding to speak up, I turn toward Christian. "Christian where exactly are we? I thought we were going to your place."

I watch him as his grip tightens on the wheel and he gulps before he answers. "Well…" Just as he starts to answer he turns onto a deserted road leading us down a dirt path in the middle of the woods. Seriously, is there where he turns out to be a crazed serial killer?

"Are you taking me to the woods to kill me?" I place a totally fake smile on my face, but seriously, is he going to kill me?

Christian gives me a small chuckle as he slows down the path. "No Ana. I want to show you my home. I know that I took you to an apartment yesterday, but it wasn't really my apartment. Well technically it is, but I don't sleep there most of the time unless I decide I don't want to sleep in an on-call room." He's rambling and not making any sense to me right now.

"What do you mean that it wasn't really your apartment?" Seriously, I'm so confused now.

"Well I pay for the apartment, it's in my name, but I don't live there. The room that you saw, it's the guest room I use to keep extra changes of clothes in for when I'm in between major cases and can't be far from the hospital."

"Seriously, Christian, if you don't start with the full story soon, I'm going to call Jose to come get me." What the hell is he going on about? "I thought you said it was your place. I mean the place looked a little sterile, but I just thought that was because you lived at the hospital mainly."

The dirt path curves to the left and just as we get around the corner me move into a clearing and I see a perfect view of the sound. I wasn't paying much attention but to the view of the water and the lights in the distance when the car comes to a stop. I turn my attention to the front windshield of the car I am in shock. Seriously, this is his home?

"Christian?" I turn to my date and I look at him curiously and wonder if I'm seeing this correctly.

"Come on. Let me show you around and then I'll explain everything." He gets out the car and hurries around to my side and opens the door offering his hand to me to help me out. I take it decide in that moment that I am all in. I'm sure there is an interesting story to all of this and I'm at least sticking around to hear it.

Stepping out of the car, I take in the sight before me. The clearing that we pulled into is lined by perfect tall pine trees. Directly in front of me next to the tree line is a wooden deck decorated with red wood planters, two Adirondack chairs, a picnic table with benches, and a fire pit. There are strings of lights stretching between the trees and a silver Airstream trailer. There are even square Stone pavers creating a walkway around the deck.

"This is my home." Christian is standing next to me and I am at a complete loss for words. I turn to look at him and I stare for a moment before shaking my head and turning back to look at the trailer. Seriously, what the hell? "Come on. Let me show you."

Christian takes me by the elbow and pulls me to the deck and to the door of the trailer. I watch him actually pull a key out and unlock the door and when we walk in, I am shocked at the luxury I see inside. The floors appear to be tiled. Immediately to my right is a plush chocolate leather couch. To the left is a pale marble top dining table with benches made of the same leather as the couch. Christian steers me further into the trailer and I'm captivated by the luxurious simplicity surrounding me. Across from the dining table, on the left side of the trailer, is a marble counter top the same marble as the dining table. The space houses a sink, and a microwave and a small stove top and oven, and a little cabinet space. There is a fridge and freezer across from the stove and Christian demonstrates the pullout pantry in a small space next to the fridge.

Walking to the last third of the trailer, I take note of a closet and a shower stall on the left, and small bathroom housing a toilet and a sink on the right side. The very end of the trailer is where his bed is. The bed is queen sized and surrounded by windows. The bedding matches the rest of the trailer, very neutral and light. I stand staring at the bed and I get lost in my own thoughts when I feel Christian behind me with his hands on my hips.

"I owe you an explanation, and you standing here in front of my bed is giving me many excuses for why I need to delay that explanation. Let me grab you a beer and we can sit on the couch and I will tell you everything." His words brush across my neck and caress my cheek.

"Okay." He steps away and moves back to grab the beers. Following him to the couch, I take the offered Heineken. "Christian, this place is pretty cool, but what is going on?" I settle in next to him, taking my boots off so that I can curl my legs up on the couch under me.

"The apartment in the city, I pay the rent and utilities on it. But I really only use it for a closet. My brother-in-law lives there fulltime though." Huh? I'm sure he can see my confusion because he continues as he tucks a few strands of hair behind my ear. "Denny is Leila's youngest brother. He's 21 and going to be a senior at the University of Washington in the fall. Halfway through his freshman year, his father died. The bank foreclosed on their house a month later and he didn't call me until his oldest brother threatened to kick him out after he had been at his place for a week. Greer is a selfish bastard. He received a life insurance payout after Bobby died, but refused to use $13,000 of his $75,000 to pay of the house so that Denny could stay in it."

I sit and listen as Christian tries to explain that he's always maintained communication with Leila's brothers and father. "I remained close to her family after Leila's death. Bobby was a friend more than anything. Greer was hateful and more than willing to let me use part of my trust fund to pay his tuition when he lost his scholarship, but he doesn't ever feel the need to do anything for anyone else. Frankie is 23 and in law school down in California. He went to UCLA on a basketball scholarship and managed to get a full scholarship to Stanford Law. Denny though, he has always been the runt, and Leila was his mother for the largest part of his life. He was only three when his mother died. Leila was eleven and she took over caring for her brothers."

Christian picks at the label to his beer bottle and I have to urge him to keep talking. I know that this must be hard, but we need to talk about this so that we can move forward. "Tell me more Christian. I want to know everything baby. That's if you want to tell me."

Christian looks at me with a shy smile. "I want you to know everything Ana. I don't want to hide any part of my life from you. Let me explain this place to you and we can talk more about my relationship with Leila another day. Denny, he instantly attached to me and looked to me as another big brother. I've maintained my relationship with him and I was pissed more than anything when he failed to tell me about the foreclosure. I wanted him to focus on his studies. He wants to go to med school and be a doctor as well. I didn't want him to worry about keeping a roof over his head or taking out loans to pay his bills and working two jobs. So, I take care of it for him. He does have a job working part time at my dad's law firm in their mailroom, but it's just enough to buy his groceries and give him money to socialize. I give him a stipend each semester to cover school supplies and clothes, but he's on his own for the rest of it. He needs to be a functioning adult when he's released into the real world. I pay his cell phone and I cover the Wi-Fi bill at the apartment, however I refused to pay for satellite for him. He took two months and decided he could afford a Netflix subscription. He always texts me when he has a girl at the apartment to Netflix and Chill, so that I know not to come over."

"Netflix and Chill? I feel old because I have no clue what that is." Seriously, what is that?

"Elliot explained it to me. Basically, you invite an interested party over on the pretense of watching something on Netflix and eating popcorn and hanging out. Except, you aren't really supposed to make it to the end of the show before you're "naked and fucking like rabbits" as he explains it." Well that is just….

"Oh, I don't know what to say to that. I don't really watch TV or movies. I watch Grey's Anatomy reruns sometimes, Jose made me watch every season of Queer as Folk our second year at Yale, but I can't tell you the last time I watched something on TV or a movie. I have a habit of turning CNN on in the mornings, but I don't really watch. I just like the background noise as I eat breakfast."

Christian is rubbing the back of his neck, and I realize we've gotten off topic. I look at him imploring him to continue. "Sorry we got off topic. Tell me how you came to be here."

"So, after Leila died I moved back to Mom and Dad's. I had been living on my boat that my Pops got me before that, but I couldn't bring myself to go back there. I stayed with my parents for six months before Dad told me to man up and get the hell out. I started with an apartment in the Pike district, but I hated it. I hated being there every day after my shift. It wasn't home. It was just a place to sleep and shower. I started flipping homes with Elliot, and I would stay in the houses we were flipping till we sold them, but because of the schedules we maintain, there were times when I needed to sleep in the middle of the day, and it's hard to do with a tile saw going. So, I pulled out my laptop three years ago and I found a listing for twenty acres on the sound. Ready to build on, water and electricity hookups ready. I've contacted three designers to draw up plans for the house I want, but none of them can get it right. So, I got the airstream and this has been home ever since. I'll eventually find someone to design the house that I want and then I'll get it built. Till then, this is my oasis. I don't think I would have survived my clinical trials for the LeWill Serum if I hadn't had this place to retreat to."

I suddenly understand it more. This is where he comes to get away. He has his solitude here. He's managed to live here for three years and maintain a distance from everyone. "Well, it's getting late and I have rounds tomorrow morning meaning we have to leave here early so that I can change before getting to the hospital at my usual time. Are you coming to bed?" I rise from the couch and walk toward the opposite end of the trailer setting my empty beer bottle on his counter on the way.

I start to pull my dress over my head as I reach the end of the bed when he suddenly appears behind me, stilling my hands on my thighs where I've gathered the hem of my dress.

"Let me help you with that." I let his breath ghost over my neck as I lean my head back on his shoulder as he slowly pushes my dress higher up my body. Taking his time, and torturing me in the process.

Christian's POV

Shit, I'm going to fall in love with this woman. She's not running. She seemed impressed with my trailer and she wants to go to bed. I'm one lucky bastard, but I should get up off my ass and take that dress off of her. We've had sex twice and I want to do it right this time, starting with undressing her slowly. My cock is aching against the seam of my pants to see what she has under that dress.

With quick strides, I sidle up behind her stilling her hands on her thighs where she has started to gather the bottom of her dress. "Let me help you with that." There is only an inch between our bodies, but I gather the dress bringing it to her hips before touching the bare skin above her underwear. I decide to wait until she is completely undressed before trying to take in what delectable bits of lace are hiding underneath.

I ghost my hands up the side of her body lifting the dress as I do so. "Raise your arms, Anastasia." As she does, my hands continue the journey up with her dress following along. When the dress is up above her head she pulls her arms down and she's standing before me with her back to me in her underwear. The times before when we've been here, we've been rushed and crazed with lust. This time I want to be slow and tender with her the way I've only ever been with one other before her.

"Christian." My name is a whisper as she leans her head on my shoulder leaning into me. I close the remaining space between us, feeling her heat radiate through me. Her hands reach behind her holding onto my thighs. I circle her waist spreading my fingers across the smooth expanse of her skin. Leaving my left hand on her stomach, I skate my right hand up cupping her breast.

I look over her shoulder finally taking in the black scraps of lace she's wearing. The bra is essentially cupless. The base is satin and there are thin lace panels that stretch over the center of the cup covering her nipples. And, oh sweet Jesus, she's wearing garters. The lace is entwined around her hips holding the sheer nude of her thigh high stockings. Taking her right nipple in between thumb and forefinger, I squeeze lightly, rolling the nipple, eliciting a moan from her. While I manipulate her nipple, I let my left-hand ghost down toward her sex, my fingers dipping under the edge of her lace thong. "You're drenched Ana."

"And you're wearing entirely too many clothes still." Yet she doesn't move to take them off of me. Sliding first one and then a second finger into her hot core, bringing yet another moan from throat. Taking my time, I work my fingers inside of her in staccato with the fingers pulling at her nipple. As my fingers inside of her grow faster, her breathe comes in faster puffs. Her muscles start to contract around me and I know that she is close. Pinching the nipple I've been working over, I send her flying over the edge to her orgasm.

"Turn around and help me out of these clothes now baby." I remove my hand from her panties as she turns in my arms. Once she's facing me, I take in the full effect of her outfit. "Damn it Ana. If I had known what was under that dress all night. Shit," Ana cups me through my pants and I have to think of Elliot in a dress to keep from creaming my pants. "Ana, baby, if you don't watch it, you're going to make this a quick night and I'm going to look like a horny teenage boy."

My girl just laughs at me and fuses her lips to my own. From that moment on we're nothing but lips and tongues and limbs as she helps me take my clothes off. Before long, I'm standing naked and I'm reaching behind her to snap off her bra. She steps back and crooks her finger at me as she scoots backward on the bed. I reach back toward my pants for the condom I stashed there earlier in the evening. I watch Ana make herself comfortable on top of the blankets while I roll the condom on.

"Christian, I need you now." She's writhing around, fondling her breasts and I lunge between her legs, taking in the sweet scent of her arousal. I can't wait anymore. Ripping the lace separating her from me.

With a hunger I've never known, I attack Ana's core and devour her essence. First on my plate is her perfect little clit. Slow yet hard licks. I don't want to drive her over the cliff just yet. I look up and see her eyes closed, but her hands haven't left her breasts. Ana's back writhing under my tongue and I have to use my hands to pin her thighs open and to the bed. With two fingers, I plunge into her hot sheath. She instantly contracts around me. I continue my tour of her nub, now throbbing. Her back arches and her mewls reach my ears. She's close when she grabs my hair and practically yells at me. "Don't you dare stop! Christian, please please please!"

Pushing her over the edge, I add a third finger and send her flying. "Yessssssssssss!" She gushes all over my fingers but I don't stop the steady tempo. I wait and let her calm down before traveling up her body and sear her with a kiss.

Pulling back only when the need to breathe takes over, I line my length up with her and settle into her. Surrounding her, I gaze down at Anastasia and take in her beauty. "Ana." Her name is a whispered worship on my lips. Threading her hands in my hair, I'm pulled back to her lips as I begin to rock in and out of her.

Heaven, this is pure heaven. I've fucked this woman twice now, but now I'm making love to her. Words fail me. Matching me thrust for thrust, one of her hands travel down to grip the base of my back, while I trail a hand down under her ass and behind her knee, hooking it over my hip and traveling back to grip her ass. I begin to pummel into her with more force, before leaning down and taking a nipple in my mouth. I can feel her at the edge again, and I'm trying to hold out.

"Not yet Ana." I can feel the sweat covering the two of us as we move, thrusting against each other. Primal.

"Christian." My names breezes lightly between her plush lips. I attack the skin at the juncture of her neck and collar. A nibble and soothing swipe of my tongue. She's squeezing me tightly, but not yet. Licking up to her ear, I increase my pace.

"Anastasia," I make sure that my words have the desired effect on her. "You're going to wait for me baby. We're going to come together." Taking her earlobe between my lips, I suck gently, feeling her shake under me as I continue with the steady rock.

Increasing the pace, I move my lips back the expanse of her collar. Ana immediately tilts her head to the side granting access to me. Worshipping the space above her jugular, I listen to her body. Her breaths are coming in short pants, her moans are music to my ears. "Ready Ana?" She nods her head furiously as I pound and bite on her neck.

"CCCCCHHHHHRRRRRIIIIISTIANNNNNNNNNNNNN!" her orgasm crashes over her, taking me with her.

"Shit Shit Shit baby!" I thrust over and over as I spill into the condom, letting her milk me for everything that I've got. Ana continues screaming until her orgasm releases its hold on her. I feel her body sag and I collapse on her.

"Never Christian, never has it ever been like this for me." Pressing my forehead to hers, I take a few shuddering breaths of my own. She's correct, in all my years, it's never been like this.

Placing a small kiss to the tip of her nose, I pull out and walk to the bathroom to dispose of the condom and clean up. Climbing back in bed, Ana snuggles into my side.

"I have to make it to rounds in the morning. Bailey says I have to beat the cheer squad bitches, and to do that I need to spend time on the floor and not in the research library. At least I've got the quarterback." She's not making any sense and before I can ask her what she's talking about, Ana is asleep. I pull her close and let my mind wander.

Thoughts of my late wife plague me, and I wonder if this is what she meant when she asked for her last promise. I let sleep take me over and dream of a future filled with Dr. Anastasia Steele-Grey and our little mini doctors playing hide and seek around the hospital.


	10. Ch10: Shit, dinner with my mother again

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I wanted to get this up on the weekend, but going to my son's basketball games proved more challenging for me than originally thought.**

 **Not gonna make this long. There is a small cliffy at the end, but the next chapter is half written so you shouldn't have to wait past next week to get the answers. Don't worry, for your patience, I'll have an amazing surprise for you later.**

 **Remember to favorite and follow to get update notifications. I love hearing from you all in the reviews. Its been awhile since GV was updated, so I'm not going to respond to each of the last ones, but I'll try and respond to a few of you in next week's update.**

 **Submissive Beginning is halfway to being done. I think I'll have the final chapters up just in time for the Freed premiere. That's my goal anyway. Also working on a lemony one-shot and my newest plot bunny Unavowed.**

 **I don't own FSOG, but I love doing this. Mistakes are mine, this is completely unbeta-ed.**

 **Laters**

Grey Vitals

Chapter 10:Shit, dinner with my mother again

Ana's POV

August 2017

Three months. It has been three months since I met Dr. Christian Grey. Three months since I started my internship at Seattle General. It has been exhilarating and dramatic at the same time. Dr. Bailey was very astute that day she told me I was back in high school. I am most definitely the nerd girl and Christian is the quarterback. We've upset the status quo at the hospital. None of the cheerleaders approve of the quarterback and the geek being together and they've spent nearly two months trying to make my life hell.

Let's start with the cheer squad's high flyer, Olivia Blandino. Nearly two weeks after our amazing first date, Christian had to attend a dinner with a couple of politicians trying to garner favor for his brain mapping program he's working on. I was going to attend with him, but Dr. Matteo assigned me to watch a critical patient all night and required vitals updates every half hour.

Olivia's father was one of the gentlemen at the dinner. Bailey had warned me that he was part of the key to Christian getting the governmental funding he needed. I don't think that either of us expected him to try and pimp his daughter out in exchange for the funding either. When Christian came back to the hospital after the dinner you could see the frustration written across his face.

Little miss Blandino was there in the skimpiest dress possible without crossing into stripper territory according the photo Christian managed to sneak on his phone. He's paranoid the Blandinos will make trouble for him and his project now. While Christian tried to explain the project to the four men at the table, Olivia tried to touch his thigh. The senator tried to get Christian to agree to dinner with just him the next night.

Thankfully one of the other guys at the table spoke up for Christian at that point. He was some senator from Vermont and was actually a doctor himself. He exchanged cards with Christian at the end of the dinner, promising to speak up on his behalf if the dinner came back and bit him in the ass. Olivia tried to coax Christian into a nightcap and threw a fit and promised to make him pay if he declined a third time. Oh yeah, she's tried to ask him out twice before that dinner.

Christian was thankfully on the phone with the hospital answering service, which is always recorded, and she was heard by the nurse he was talking to. He'd called to see if his mother and I were still in the hospital before he went home looking for either one of us. Olivia waited three days before filing a complaint against Christian for harrassment. The picture Christian took of her outfit as she was leaving him at the restaurant, and the call with the nurse's line helped Christian. HR placed Olivia on a two-week suspension and she's been denied the privilege of working with the great Dr. Grey for three months.

Next on my list of cheer bitches, Bethany Walker. I think most people consider the Dragon Lady, AKA Dr. Gia Matteo, to the queen bitch of Seattle Gen, but I guarantee you, Bethany Walker is worse. The woman tried to get me thrown off the one OB/GYN case I've been assigned to since starting my internship. I could deal with her just saying no, I won't work with you. That wasn't the case with Dr. Walker though. I had to involve HR with this case. I was informed by my patient, during an ultrasound I was conducting to measure her baby, that I was a dirty adulterous whore. The woman screamed for security to remove me from her room. When Dr. Bailey showed up, we discovered that Dr. Walker led the patient to believe that she was married to Christian and he was leaving her for me. The patient ended up transferring to Seattle Presbyterian and Dr. Walker has left her fellowship. I guess there's an open spot on the cheer squad.

Next, we have the captain of the squad, The Dragon Lady, Dr. Gia Matteo. This woman is doing everything possible to make my life hell. She hates that as an intern I'm already able to declare my field of focus. She's constantly trying to override Grace and pull me onto her cases. I've spent so many of my days off covering her labs and after hours vital checks. She likes to relegate me to nurses' work, when she does let me in an OR she grills me about my father, my relationship with the Grey family and generally alludes to me sleeping my way into the program.

Today I am on Dr. Morgan's service, which means I am on Christian's service. I've been banned from the OR by Dr. Morgan and can only observe their brain tumor removal today. This patient is a 54 year old woman that had always been a faithful, loving, and kind wife and mother. She had been an active member in her community. Then four months ago, she started acting erratically. She had an affair with her neighbor's 19-year-old son, and actually slapped her daughter for perceived disrespect. She was verbally abusive to everyone around her. Her husband sent her to the doctor thinking it might just be menopause, but they discovered three tumors almost the size of a dime on her frontal lobe.

It's amazing to watch the doctors work so effectively. Doctor Morgan is using the mechanical surgical arm to perform the surgery for the first time. I laughed because she had to ask me about the equipment's programing to prepare today. Dr. Morgan is an okay doctor. She has her moments, but I haven't learned much from her the few times I've worked with her. She always tries to find a way to keep me out of the OR. I spend more time updating her charts than anything.

The last member of the cheer squad, Nurse Hannah, or as Jose loves to refer to her, Luke's skanky syph nurse. I avoid her at all costs. She a nurse, so I have more power than her here. I stay out of her way and she stays out of mine. Doesn't stop her from giving me the death glare every time she sees me.

Since I've logged enough hours to get a four-day weekend, I'm being summoned to dinner with my mother tomorrow night. I've managed to avoid Carla Steele since the Kate debacle and it's been so peaceful. I don't want to make waves and I just feel like this dinner is going to bring a Tsunami our way. Christian has been with me the whole way. We've only spent a hand full of nights away from each other since the date that ended at his trailer on the cliff high above the sound. When I have nights off but rounds early the next morning, we stay at my place. When I get to skip morning rounds, we go to his trailer. He no longer keeps clothes at Denny's apartment either. When he needs to stay close to the hospital, he stays with me.

Jose was okay with the arrangement for the most part, till about three weeks ago. He and Dr. Fox broke up, and Jose had told us he would be out with Barney and a couple of other people from the hospital for the night. However, Jose picked up some random guy and came home just before midnight, founding Christian and I naked in front of my fireplace. His date lost interest in Jose immediately and started trying to get in with us because he "wanted to eat the monster that was tearing me apart" as he put it. Christian and Jose were both equally mortified and I couldn't help but laugh.

When I managed to get control of myself, my sides hurt, and my eyes were watering. The poor guy was just standing there. Jose couldn't look at me because I hadn't bothered to cover myself. I walked over the interloper and showed him the door and then walked up to my room. It took Christian all of three minutes to get a clue and meet me in my room. The next day at breakfast, Jose demanded we put a sock on the front door handle after that or to stay confined to my bedroom.

I'm brought out of my inner musings by the shrill of a code blue announcement. Running to the patient's room, I enter and find Luke starting on the patient.

"Dr. Steele, I need you to grab a 12 gage, we've got to insert a central line. Can you do it?" Luke and I have managed to find a way to work with each other. I try not to be left alone with him, because then he starts in with his apologies. I don't want to hear them. I told Christian last week I wouldn't mind knowing what happened that night I thought he would propose, but it wasn't something I needed.

Grabbing the needle and the necessary supplies, I follow Dr. Sawyer's instructions and get the line inserted. Just as we do the patient's heart rate starts to stabilize. It's a rush when your adrenaline starts pumping and you're racing against a clock to save a patient.

"Good Job, Steele." I step back and watch the nurses adjust meds on the patient and step out with Luke to talk to the patient's family. She's one of Grace's patients that has been here for two weeks. Samantha is a twelve-year-old girl in need of a kidney. She's diabetic and has been on dialysis for a year. Her kidneys have totally shut down and now her heart is getting weak.

After talking to Samantha's mother, Luke instructs me to contact UNOS and get her moved to the top of the list. He heads off to see Grace and update her. Just as I get off the phone with UNOS my pager goes off.

"Shit." DR. Morgan's brain tumor lady is crashing. Racing to the opposite end of the floor, I run into the room to start CPR procedures. Dr. Morgan is already there with the defibrillator to shock her heart. Morgan hollars for someone to page Christian and Jason. The portable ultrasound is showing a clot near her heart. She has to go back into surgery.

"Steele, you need to scrub in. We need all hands on deck." Yes, finally. This is the first time I've been in the OR in days.

When I make it into the OR, I see Dr. Morgan and Dr. Jason Taylor, the head of Cardiology. We work quickly and efficiently as they find the clot and remove it before it can cause real damage by travelling to the brain and causing a stroke. I was ecstatic when they let me close the patient. It's one thing to do sutures in the ER, it's another when we get to practice in the OR.

"Great work today Steele." Dr. Morgan's praise is actually nice. I spend the rest of the evening flying high on pride and completing charts and checking labs on patients.

Midnight hits and I log out of the automated and electronic filing system. I run to the locker room and strip out of my scrubs, wash my hands, and grab my purse. Jose should already be at the house, so I'm on my own. I practically skip as I exit the interns' locker room.

"Going somewhere Dr. Steele?" Oh, shit. I've managed to avoid this man since I started work. The rumors about him and the leer he sends my way when he's in the cafeteria at the same time I am gives me the creeps. His voice alone sends a chill up my spine.

"Dr. Hyde, I'm heading out. I've logged to many hours the last month and my resident is sending me home." I don't want to give the man anymore info than that. He's an attending, he can log into the system himself and see the number of hours I've logged.

"Oh, is that so?" He starts to run a finger up my arm, and I take a step back. Hyde drops his hand but places the other one on the wall, effectively blocking my path. "What do you say to dinner tomorrow night? A little wine, some dancing. We could have fun."

This man's breath smells like dog vomit. "Sorry, Dr. Hyde, I already have plans to have dinner with my mother and boyfriend." I hope the mention of my boyfriend will deter him, but I'm not sure he'll take the hint.

"Next week maybe?" He arches an eyebrow. I really wish Christian was here. I hope he's at the house, I told him to meet me there when I got off. I don't want to be without him nor do I want to try and get a ferry ride this late at night.

"I'm exclusive in my relationship. So the answer will be no." Before he can say much more, I race around him and take the stairs. I'm not stopping to wait for the elevator.

Five minutes later, I'm walking into the parking lot toward my car when I see a figure leaning against my car. I start to reach into my bag for my pepper spray when I notice the shine to the copper curls on the head of the man waiting for me.

Letting the smile spread across my face, I race to my car and jump when Christian holds his arms out for me. Wrapping my legs around his torso, he plants one of the most passionate hello kisses ever on me. The tango back and forth as he turns us and presses my body into the side of my car, both palms cupping my rear, becomes heated and within moments we're in need of breath.

"Happy to see me?" Christian is by far the most passionate and caring man I've ever met. I'm so happy I went to that bar and took him home. He likes to think even if we hadn't gotten together that night, it would have happened eventually. He's too persistent he says. He's certain he would have worn me down, I agree he might have when we were forty and I was too saggy to pick up men from the bar anymore.

"Always. What are you doing here though?" He finally lets me slide down his body as he takes my key from me and guides me toward the passenger side. This is our new thing. No matter whose car we're in anymore, he's always driving. Christian's got more than a few control issues.

"I had dinner and a few beers with Elliot. When I saw what time it was, I just had him drop me off here. I've only been out here about fifteen minutes." Christian starts the car and backs out. The minute the car is in drive, his right hand is holding mine and we're headed toward my house.

"I'm sorry. I'd have been out here sooner, but I got cornered by Hyde. The man asked me to dinner tomorrow. I mean seriously, everyone in that hospital knows that we're together. How did he think I would answer? When I said no the first time, he asked about next week. I had to tell him I didn't two time and duck around him and take the stairs to get out of there." Christian's grip on the steering wheel looks to become a little tighter.

"You be careful around that man, Anastasia. I know you've heard the rumors and you should hear the things he says in the attendings' lounge. He wants in your panties and I don't share." Christian looks furious, like I've done something wrong.

"I know about Hyde's reputation. I also know what I want and it's not him. Frankly I'm surprised I've managed this long without a run in with him. He's the only attending I've not worked with so far. And after that I'm glad I get to work the next two weeks in the trauma pit when I go back to work." Trauma. If I can't go in pediatrics, I'd want to be a trauma surgeon. The constant adrenalin rush and the race to save a patient's life. I can't wait till we get to do our EMT ride-alongs in two months.

"I'm sorry Ana." That's all he says and we're quiet the rest of the way home.

Entering the house, I notice the place is pitch dark, which means that Jose isn't home. "Come on baby let's go to bed. You've had a long day, and we need to rest to do battle with your mother at dinner tomorrow." He's absolutely right.

I don't even think as the brain fog of exhaustion starts to settle in. I strip once I hit my room and walk to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I can hear the beep of the alarm being set downstairs and after a moment he's joining me in the en suite. Standing behind me, Christian brushes the hair back from one side of my neck and trails a finger down my spine. Placing a kiss to the side of my neck, he locks eyes with me in the mirror. "I love you Ana." With that he walks out the bathroom and pulls the covers back before climbing into my bed.

Shit that felt monumental. We've said I love you to each other before, I think, but there was so much emotion behind what he just did. I try not to think anymore. I quickly rinse my toothbrush and drop it in the holder. I walk to my side of the bed and join Christian under the covers. Within moments, I'm snuggled into my man's side, and fall fast asleep.

Christian's POV

Today with Ana is one I don't get to experience often. Neither of us are due at the hospital till Tuesday. I handed off my patients so that I could spend the time with her. We have to leave in an hour for dinner with her mother and Mrs. Steele's new boyfriend. Tomorrow we're going to a concert in the park with Jason and Gail. Sunday we're spending the day at my parents' house for a backyard barbeque and swim party. Mother has invited my entire family. Ana is going to get to finally meet my grandfather. I wish my grandmother would be there to meet her, but if she were I wouldn't have chosen the field that I did.

"Ana! You better get a move on. Your mother will kill us if we're late." I'm wearing a dark blue suit, with a crisp white shirt and silver tie. I'm putting a splash of cologne on when I see Ana come out of her closet in a dark blue wrap dress. She's in the process of putting in an earring and has her shoes tucked under her arm.

"You look great baby." I place a kiss to Ana's head as she passes me to sit on the edge of the bed. Her snort in response makes me look over my shoulder in wonder though. "What?"

"Carla Steele is up to something. I just don't know what it is. I mean this is my mother we're talking about. If I'd grown up in the south she'd have entered me in every small town carnival beauty pageant and forced me to go to cotillion. She likes to think she's Seattle's Unsouthern Debutante. She'll have something to complain about. Either this dress is too tight for my figure, I've gained five pounds she'll claim. My hair won't be shiny enough, or I chose the wrong jewelry or shoes. I've spent my entire life hearing what I was doing wrong. She'll have plenty to say tonight. I'll barely eat, because too much food in front of a man makes you look like a glutton. I'll barely speak for fear of saying something I can never take back. When we come home, I'm going straight to the freezer and taking a shot of tequila. Then I'm going to call Mr. Chang's and get double our usual order. While I wait for the food to get here, I'm coming upstairs to shower and change into my worn Harvard sweats. When I'm done eating, I'm going to need you to ignore the ugly sweats and fuck my brains out and tell me everything she said was wrong. Can you do that for me?" Shit, I'm hard as stone thinking about the end of my night.

"I can do that Ana." I watch her put on the black strappy heals that she claims her mother will hate. "Ready to go?" I hold out a hand to help her up and she saunters to me and pressing the length of her body close to me before placing a chaste kiss to my lips.

"I'm ready. And in case I don't remember to say it again tonight, I love you." A smile the size of the Grand Canyon spreads across my face.

"You know you've never said that to me before, you know?" She looks perplexed and I can tell she didn't realize the importance of what I said last night.

"Really? I thought we'd said it already. So last night…" You can see the question in her eyes and I just simply nod my head.

"Shit Christian, I'm sorry. I could have sworn we had said it already. Hell, I gushed to Gail the other day about how much I love you. I thought we'd said it. I'm sorry. Seriously, I suck at this girlfriend thing." I chuckle a little and place a kiss to the corner of her mouth and offer her my arm.

"It's okay Ana. I've known we're both lacking in the relationship department. We've been comfortable. We have to evolve though or we'll grow apart. I've known that I love you for awhile. I don't know why I chose to say it like I did last night, it just felt right." We get to the front door and I let her open the door while I set the alarm.

The drive to Canlis, isn't a long one, but it's a quiet one. I know she's upset with herself and I'll have to make sure that she understands there is nothing to be upset about. Parking in front of the restaurant, I exit the vehicle and run to the passenger side to help her out, handing the keys to the valet. "We've got ten minutes. Do you think that she's already here?" Ana ask me nervously.

I'm a little nervous myself now. I've met Carla Steele a handful of times and she can be scary. Carla's not scary like my mother, in that she will silently show her disappointment and disapproval and shame you into her way of thinking and doing things. No, Carla Steele is very vocal. She finds ways to make digs at you while trying to disguise them as complements. She makes suggestions, but really, they're orders not to be defied. Carla Steele is a prime example of a Seattle society woman bitch. Her displeasure could mean the ruin of your reputation. "We'll find out soon enough baby."

Opening the door to the restaurant, I wait to follow Ana inside. She walks to the hostess stand and lets them know who we're here for. "I'm not sure if our party is here yet, Steele."

The hostess looks and then snaps her fingers. Another woman, a small blonde, meets her at the stand. I'm not sure what they are whispering about, but it's making me even more nervous. The blonde finally nods her head and then looks at Ana and I. "Right this way Ms. Steele, Mr. Grey." She motions for us to follow her and before long I realize she's walking us to the back of the dining area to where the private dining rooms are.

We're led to a table and I can see the back of a gentleman's head and Carla sitting on his right. I walk to the side of the table and go to pull the chair out of Ana when the gentleman next to me stands and I take notice of who he is. Ana immediately stops in her tracks as well. This dinner is not starting out on the best foot. "Dr. Peters. What a surprise to see you here."

Dr. Evan Peters is the Chief of Surgery at Seattle General. He was an attending during my resident year. He and I don't see eye to eye on much, probably due to the fact that we know him being a 38-year-old chief of surgery will be the peak of his career. It also doesn't help that the only reason he got the job was because Dr. Raymond Steele died before he could become chief.

"Dr. Grey, Dr. Steele. It's nice to see you outside the hospital walls. I think that for tonight we'll dispense with the formalities. I'm Evan. I hope you don't mind me calling you Christian and Ana tonight." Dr. Peter's is a slimy one in my book. He'll do anything and step over anyone to get ahead. He tried to block me from my research on my serum, but when the hospital's board saw the potential they told him to shove it.

"Of course. Mother, it's great to see you." Ana is wearing a smile I've only seen a few times. It's her society smile and completely faked. It's a good one though, I don't think anyone but me and maybe Jose could tell it wasn't genuine.

"Anastasia. You look lovely in that dress; too bad you didn't have a So Kate pump to match." Ana was right. Carla zeroed in on the shoes.

"I liked these for tonight." Ana finally slides into her chair. I take the seat next to her and position myself on Evan's right and across from Carla. Ana is going to spend the entire evening guarded and I don't blame her. Once again, I feel like Carla is probably up to something, I just haven't figured out what it is yet.

Taking note of the table, we're all spaciously spread around the table. You could easily fit two or three more people at the large round table we're sitting at. I purposely scoot my chair closer to Ana's not wanting to have to spend the night without the ability to touch her. When she sees what I'm doing, I finally get a genuine smile from her as I take her hand in mine. I smile back as I rest our joined hands on my thigh.

"So Ana, I've not talked to you in weeks. How is everything?" Carla speaks to Ana before taking a sip of the white wine that was poured for us before Ana and I arrived.

"Everything is good. Christian and I have the weekend off together. I've logged too many hours in the last month and have to take the time off. We have plans all weekend, but Monday I'm going to get a jump start on studying for my intern exams." The pride radiates off Ana. She doesn't really need to study, but she's determined not to let anyone in her intern class fail. Well, she might let Dr. Blandino fail.

"Working too much huh? Maybe you should cut back. There are several functions I would love for you to attend. Honestly, I don't know why you're working at all. You've gotten your inheritance from your father's estate. You're even dating the richest doctor in the country. You need to be focusing on your station, not your career." And there it is ladies and gentlemen; the Carla Steele Ana knows and hates to love, but can't help it she's her mother.

"I've worked very hard here mother. I was accepted to all of the top ten surgical programs in the country. The Mayo Clinic and Seattle General went into a war of perks upon completion of my residency over me. I could be forever stuck in the snow in Minnesota, but I chose to come home. I came to where Daddy was. I'm not going to stop, I think I can do amazing things for the children of Seattle." Ana's confidence is shaky, but I'm proud of her for standing up to her mother.

"I think we should place our orders." Evan tried to break the tension that is building between mother and daughter, and I appreciate it.

Lifting Ana's hand to my mouth I gently kiss the back of her knuckles. "Do you want your usual?" We like Canlis take out. I try to call in an order at least once a week. We've even eaten from their expensive takeaway containers in an empty patient's room once because she was stuck over night between surgeries with critical post op care.

"Yes please." Ana's voice is barely a whisper only meant for me to hear. Something I've learned in the last few months, when we're at the hospital, Ana can be very dominate. She is a go getter and takes charge of the other interns a lot. When it's just the two of us, she becomes a natural submissive. She lets me make most of the decisions about what we do, where we eat, when we go to bed and what bed we're in. She loves for me to take care of her, especially when we bathe together. I think Ana is her most relaxed and content when I am washing her hair.

The waiter shows up quickly and we all place our orders while Ana sips from her wine quietly. Evan starts to tell us about a grant he's trying to get for the hospital to buy some new scanner for the trauma center and Ana starts to perk up.

"You should really just hold a gala for donors. They spend more money when you ply them with appetizers and good champagne and scotch. Make a night of it, dinner and dancing. Charge an arm and a leg for a seat. Get local businesses to donate packages people can bid on and hold an auction." Ana takes another sip of her wine before sitting a little straighter and making her suggestions to Evan. "Mayo purchased one of those scanners last year while I did my summer internship. They're a little over $500,000. If you hold an event for 250 people, which you can easily do in this town, sell seats at the tables for $2500, which is cheaper than most campaign dinners, you can raise $625,000 alone on the seats. Then get the auction items. Ask the attendee to make personal donations, you could easily get a million for the hospital. As an employee I can't make a donation to the hospital, it'll look like I'm buying my way into the program, but I can buy seats at an entire table and attend with my intern friends, who most likely can't afford a seat right now anyway. Make sure you get everyone of your department heads there as well and make them talk about their upcoming research projects and innovative procedures. A guest speaker on the importance of up to date technology in a trauma center would be a good idea as well. Hire a good band, and make sure the alcohol is good. Free champagne during the cocktail hour, wine with dinner. Make the rest a cash bar."

Ana finishes her speech and I think Carla is stunned with her suggestion. Evan looks contemplative. I wonder which will speak first. I look at Ana and I hope that she can see the pride I'm feeling for her. This is going better than I thought.

"Ana, honey, that's a wonderful idea. Evan, I could easily get several of the other doctor's spouses to help organize this. We can even make it like a masquerade theme. What do you think?" Carla has a glean in her eye. Maybe this dinner won't be so bad after all.

"I think it sounds marvelous. I know someone at the Fairmont that would let us use the ballroom, so we won't have to worry about the weather. It's August, maybe we can shoot for six weeks. That gives plenty of time to find donors for an auction and secure decorations, and food. Oh, Ana this was a marvelous idea." Evan smiles softly at Ana, but I can see how happy he is. "Even if we get the grant before then for the scanner, we can always find other areas to improve within the department with the money."

"I'll be your first donor Carla. I own a house in Aspen. I'll donate the use of the home for a week to the auction." I feel it's the least I can do. Ana is right, we as doctors can't make cash donations to the hospital, but things like this I can do.

"You own a home in Aspen?" Ana looks at me quizzically. I forgot about it in earnest.

"Yeah, I've had it about two years. Elliot arranged to have it built on some land I bought. We used to go to Aspen every year as a family growing up and always rented on of those timeshare condos at the resorts. I wanted to have a place of our own. We still go each year as a family. In fact, that's where my family will spend Thanksgiving this year. You'll have to join us." I let hope shine through my expression and implore her to say yes.

"Okay. Mom, I know a concierge in New York who can put together a Broadway package for me with a cache of tickets and playbills, maybe even a meet and greet, if we can donate a weekend for the use of the Park Avenue place." I forgot that Ana use to live in New York with her parents, but I had assumed they sold their place when they moved back to Seattle.

"That's a great idea sweetie." I look at Carla and she looks like she's about to say something else before the hostess from earlier returns.

"Mrs. Steele, your other guests have arrived. Would you like for us to set their places now?" I'm confused. What other guests? I thought this was a get to know you dinner so Ana and Carla could officially introduce their boyfriends one another, not that we needed introductions apparently.

"Certainly Brigit. Thank you." I watch Carla stand and get up to move her chair closer to Evan when I hear the door to the dining room opening again. Ana and I both look up to see who is entering, and I immediately hear her gasp of surprise.

Well fuck. I shouldn't have said this was going good earlier. I jinxed it. Why the hell would Carla invite the two of them here. Shit, I, shit. Ana said she was up to something. Looks like she was right. Now to figure out what it is. I need to find the waiter. Ana and I are going to need stronger drinks.


	11. Ch 11: Oh Sister, Where Art Though?

**A/N: I'm sorry that it has been so long since an update. I will keep this short so that you can get to it. It will be a few more weeks though before anything else is posted for this story. In two weeks I'm moving, I have my children home on spring break, and then I have prep for NaNoWriMo. Good news is though, I'm going to have a blog up and running at the end of the month. My NaNoWriMo project will be featured there and will eventually be published to Amazon as an original story. Don't worry though, you'll get Ana and Christian to begin with, but only for a short time.**

 **Anyway, I don't own FSoG, no copyright infringement intended. No beta, I own my mistakes.**

* * *

 **Laters**

 **Grey Vitals**

 **Chapter 11: Oh Sister, Where Art Thou?  
**

 _Last time on Grey Vitals:_

 _"Mrs. Steele, your other guests have arrived. Would you like for us to set their places now?" I'm confused. What other guests? I thought this was a get to know you dinner so Ana and Carla could officially introduce their boyfriends one another, not that we needed introductions apparently._

 _"Certainly Brigit. Thank you." I watch Carla stand and get up to move her chair closer to Evan when I hear the door to the dining room opening again. Ana and I both look up to see who is entering, and I immediately hear her gasp of surprise._

 _Well fuck. I shouldn't have said this was going good earlier. I jinxed it. Why the hell would Carla invite the two of them here. Shit, I, shit. Ana said she was up to something. Looks like she was right. Now to figure out what it is. I need to find the waiter. Ana and I are going to need stronger drinks._

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Ana's POV

I should have known my mother was up to something. Never, has she been so cordial. Never has she been so involved sounding. I thought helping give ideas for their Gala would help with our relationship, but she was just lulling me into a false sense of security. I love my mother. However, since I became a teenager, I've seen her for what she is. My mother is a social climber. She's concerned about appearances and making sure her station in life is secure. I once thought that she saw me as competition for my father's attention. I know she absolutely hated the fact that I wanted to be a surgeon like him. I had hoped that my return to Seattle would bring us closer together with Dad having passed. Instead, it seems like it will be what drives us apart for good.

I watch as Kate waits for Dr. Jack Hyde to pull her chair out and then she takes the seat next to my mother. Jack sits next to me. He reaches toward me, to touch me somehow I assume, but I flinch away. "Soon enough." He whispers in my ear and I do my best to hide the chill those two words send up my spine. I scoot my chair as close as I can toward Christian's and reach for his hand. A gentle squeeze and a reassuring smile helps to calm the climbing anxiety I'm feeling.

"Don't worry baby. We can leave anytime, but I think you should stay and hear what the hell is going on." Christian always knows what to say. He's quick to grab the bottle of wine from the center of the table and refills my glass without asking if I need it. Yeah, my man is that damn good. I smile at him sweetly and I'm about to lean in to kiss whim when Kate's scoff gets my attention.

"Don't you want to know why we're here?" She's looking better than she did the last time we had dinner together. This time she's in a bright royal blue bandage dress with wide shoulder straps. It's classic Kate attire. The cut of the fabric accentuates her figure, while the neckline shows just enough cleavage to toe the line between sexy and slutty. She looks amazing. Her hair is tousled in loose shiny blonde curls. Her make up is heavy around her eyes, making them look greener than ever.

Before I can answer, Dr. Peter's pager goes off. He looks at it and then pulls his phone out of his pocket and looks at it. "I'm sorry everyone, but I'm being called back to the hospital. You all enjoy the rest of your dinner." I watch him stand from the table and rebutton his jacket before leaning down to kiss my mother's cheek. "I'll call a car service to take you home, love."

Kate waits till Dr. Peters is out of the dining room before she prompts me again. "Well…"

"Not really Kate. I made my feelings known the last time you called me." I did eventually answer after I kicked her out. I only wanted to tell her she was a crazy bitch, but I might have been a little more aggressive than that. The bitch did cut up my favorite pillow.

"Well that's too bad. I've been getting to know your mother quite well the last few months and well family is just so important that I couldn't stay away from you any longer." I don't know what the hell she's talking about, but I want her to stop talking.

"Katherine, that is not what tonight is about." My mother tries to stop whatever Kate is doing, but I know Kate. There is no stopping whatever it is that she wants to say.

"No Carla, family takes care of one another, and that is what this dinner is about. It's time for Ana to take care of her sister." WHAT THE FUCK did she just say? I was in the middle of taking a drink of my wine and now it's stuck in my chest. "You see, dear sister, it's time for you to start taking care of me. Unless of course you want the world to know that Raymond Steele really isn't your father. Then you'll lose all claim to his legacy as well."

"What is she talking about Mom?" I look across the table to my mother imploring her to tell me what the hell is going on.

"Well, I'm not sure how to say this." My mother looks like a deer in the headlights and for the first time in my life, she's speechless.

"Oh, I'll tell her for you Carla." Kate looks at me with an evil smirk smearing her perfect face. "My father had many affairs over the years. Apparently, your mother was the first, and the one he wanted the others to be. You and I share a father." I don't need confirmation to know the truth in her words. I've my suspicions on the matter since my father's death. I just didn't know who my mom I had messed around with.

"So, what if what you say is true. My mother isn't the first woman to pass a child off as her husband's after an affair. That won't affect me. Ray Steele will always be my father. I don't need or want a relationship with you and your family." I want to leave now, but I know she's got more to say, and I wonder if she knows about the stipulations in Dad's will. Dad was a smart and perceptive man, and now I realize why he stipulated I see the attorney before mom about the strange wording.

"You may not want a relationship with us, but you're going to play along, or you'll lose everything. We're going to be friends again. You're going to help me rebuild my father's company with that fat inheritance you received, otherwise, you'll lose it all." So, they think they know the stipulations of the will. This might be fun, you know if it didn't mean the ruin of what little of a relationship I had with my mother.

"You don't know what you're talking about." I'm trying to bait her into telling me what she knows. My mother is looking at everyone but me. Jack is staring me down, but I try not to let him see how that creeps me out. I look at Christian though, and I realize that I would not still be sitting here if it were not for him.

"I know exactly what I'm talking about. I found your copy of the will not long after Ray passed away. If it becomes common knowledge that your mother had an affair and that you are proof of that, his will reverts back to the terms of his pre-nup with your mother. That means she only gets the house, that you currently live in, and a million dollars. Any child that was a result of her affair receives nothing from him and no claim to his estate upon his death."

Christian tugs at my hand and I know that he's thinking that she's holding me over the barrel right now. I'm smiling at him, and I know it's unnerving my mother a bit. What Kate says is true. My mother's claims to my father's estate reverts to the terms of her pre-nup if she's proven to have violated it in the ten years after his death.

"You probably should have had a lawyer review it for you Kate. Is this all you came here for, was to try and shake me down?" I'm doing everything I can to stay calm. I want to slap my mother for the mess she's created, and I want to throat punch Kate for being the bitch she is, and I swear Jack Hyde will get a very well placed knee to his itty bitty balls if he thinks I'm going to even so much as look his way.

"No, it's not the only reason that I am here. You see, there is more to this reputation building scheme of mine. Not only will you invest in my family company and help supplement my salary in the meantime, you're going to be seen with our family. You're going to help elevate our status in Seattle society once again. But there's more to that as well. My dear little sister, you're going to need to dump your boyfriend here. His part in all this is to marry me. You will be marrying Jack in six months, without a prenup of course. You two may have fun in private after the weddings, but only after Jack gets you pregnant and Christian does the same for me." And now I laugh. I laugh and laugh. This is the most absurd thing I've ever heard I feel like I'm in an episode of General Hospital. What the fuck does she think she has on me to make all that happen? And why would she believe that Christian would go along with her schemes as well? Oh, this is to funny. I can't stop the laughing and soon they're all looking at me like I've lost my mind.

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Christian's POV

I can't wrap my head around what I'm hearing. I knew that Carla Steele didn't like my mother, but I thought it was because of the rumors I heard regarding the friendship between Ray and my mom. I heard the whispers from the doctors of old when I started as an intern. Then I heard more of them when Ray Steele returned to Seattle. However, I know my mother. She'd rather divorce my father and try being a single mom, than to step out on him and dishonor her wedding vows. I could see the friendship between the two of them when he returned. She was devastated when he passed. Dad said losing a friend and confidante that you'd only just regained would do that to you. Dad and Ray were friends too. I never believed the rumors. Raymond Steele was too much of a stand-up guy. He wouldn't be able to look my father in the eye if he'd been going around his back with the man's wife.

I never expected Carla Steele to have been having an affair though. Seemed like it would tarnish her good girl society image if she did. Kate's right, if word got out, this would ruin Carla in everyone of her social circles. Image is everything to the women who lunch.

Why is Ana still laughing though? If they think I'm going to let Ana go and be with that creepy fucker Hyde, they're crazy. I'm sure as hell not touching Kate Kavanagh with another man's dick either, let alone getting her pregnant. This is like some bad soap opera. I squeeze Ana's hand and when she looks at me, her smile is genuine and infectious. She knows something and she's about to blow them out of the water. I can see it. Ana leans over toward me and places a small and simple kiss to my lips. Its short, but it's meaningful.

"I hope you enjoyed that because it's the last time you'll ever kiss him again. Kate may be fine with Christian stepping out on her, but I'm not fine with you doing it." Hyde all but spits the words at Ana and I look at him and if it weren't for my mother's proper raising of me, I'd be lunging for his throat. No matter how good a plastic surgeon he is, there would be no fixing his face when I got done with him.

"Fuck ofF Jack. You're not getting within five feet of me again. If you try and do anything, say anything, or even so much as breath in my direction, I'll file a complaint with the hospital. I'll file one every damn time I catch you looking at me. I'm going nowhere near you and I sure as hell am not going to let you touch me." Ana's voice has turned cold and calculating. Her spine has straightened, and she's taking on a demeanor I've never seen with her.

"Did you forget what you'll lose if you don't do what Kate and I say?" Jack looks triumphant as he takes a sip of his drink and leans back in his chair.

"Carla, you need to put a stop to all of this? You're not really going to let them do this to Ana are you? She's your only daughter." I'm seething. How can this woman claim to love her daughter and let people like this force her into this type of arrangement?

"She just needs to look at it as an arranged marriage. Those happen all the time. She won't lose anything and neither will I. Jack even promised to give her children right away." Carla doesn't look as confident as Kate and Jack, but it's easy to see she's already decided what Ana's fate must be.

Ana takes another drink her wine, gently places the near empty goblet on the table once again. "No." It's the only word she says this time.

"You don't really have a choice in the matter Ana." Kate looks so smug, and for the first time in my life, I want to slap a woman. Something about that look makes me nervous though. She's got more to tell, and I know whatever it is, it will devastate Ana.

"You can all go to hell. None of you thought to really read that will after you got to the paragraph on reasons for my father's estate to revert to the terms of his prenuptial agreement with my mother. Didn't any of you find it strange that I was never referred to as a child or daughter in the will. I was listed as an heir to the state only by my name. It didn't say, I leave such and such to my child or my daughter. It just says I leave this to Anastasia Steele. The second paragraph of the will establishes me as his true beneficiary. Who do you all think my mother loses her claim to? It all reverts to me. So, you've got nothing on me." The smugness leaves Jack Hyde's face in an instant. Kate's not so much still. Carla looks like she might throw up. I wonder if Raymond Steele always suspected the true nature of Ana's paternity.

* * *

Ana's POV

I really am in a damn soap opera. I think Dad must have some indication of what my mother was doing to word his will the way he did. The day after the funeral, I was called down to the lawyer's office privately so that he could explain to me what that paragraph meant. I was told it wouldn't be explained further after that day, but that I could have my own private lawyer look into it for me. My mom only had to go ten years without it ever being proven that she violated the terms of her prenup, and nothing would change. If I call the lawyer now and prove I'm not my father's daughter, my mother loses just about everything. She gets a million-dollar settlement, and she gets my childhood home, that she's already given to me. The deed is in my name now. Every asset she's obtained since his death, she would have to sell so that she could reimburse the estate.

I look around the table and I can't help but hate each one of them in this moment. I hate my mother for being the spineless social climber she's become. I hate her for dishonoring my dad the way she has. He loved her, you could see it, but I don't think she ever truly loved him. Kate looks like her wine has gone sour, but she's not defeated yet. She's got more in store for me. Jack on the other hand looks positively ready to revolt. He came here on a mission it seems, and he's failing.

"How long have you known Kate?" When did she find out she was my sister? It can't have been a new revelation.

"Six years ago. The summer before sophomore year. I was in Seattle and you were in Europe. I happened to see our father and your mother together. That's when I put it all together. A few conversations with my own mother after she's drunk on wine and I was able to learn the whole story. She and my dad knew about you the entire time. My mom was fine with it as long as dad kept her in diamonds and fur coats. But then you all moved and he found someone younger, someone who needed more. He went through a string of young bimbos and spent more and more of the family's money on them. By the end of that summer, I learned that my trust fund was almost depleted. Dad was living on borrowed time before he'd wind up losing Kavanagh Media." Kate looks at her nails, inspecting every angle of her perfect manicure.

"You could have told me back then. Why wait till now?" I don't understand why she played the long game.

"Don't you see, I want everything that you have. I spent my teenage years unhappy and struggling. I took out loan after loan to pay for college, even following you to Harvard. Do you know how expensive Harvard is when you don't have scholarship offers?" But she didn't have to go with us.

"You didn't have to go to Harvard with me. Hell, if money was all you wanted, you could have just blackmailed my mother. Why do you want to see me suffer?" There is something I am missing.

"Do you know how what it's like living in someone else's shadow? For years I listened to my mother or father tell me I should be more like you. They're the ones that pushed for me to be friends with you when we were younger. But then you moved, and still I heard about how amazing you were and was told how lacking I was. When we made it to college, I thought everything would be great. We'd be best friends again and everything would be aces. Then you got a boyfriend, and all I heard was how I needed to settle down and find a man that would take care of me. Preferably one that took care of the entire family. They wanted me to be you." Kate take a sip from her wine and her eyes narrow into tiny slits before she continues. "No matter I did, it was never good enough. Then Luke asked me to help pick out an engagement ring for you. He said he was going to beg you to transfer to Yale so that you two could stay together. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't afford an apartment on my own if you moved with him. So, I had to take a few drastic measures."

Oh, no. What did she do? I feel a brick has dropped into my stomach and my heart starts to accelerate. Christian looks at me with concern, tugging my hand so that I stare at him. "You okay?" he mouths the words and I'm not sure if I am or not, but I nod that I am.

"What steps did you take Kate?" My voice betrays me, showing my weakness at the moment. I know that whatever she says, I'm going to hate, but I didn't know how much her words would change my world.

"I waited till the following week, when you went home to visit your parents. I helped get Luke drunk and then proceeded to strip him down and when he woke in the morning with me naked next to him, I convinced him we had wild, passionate sex. I agreed to keep it a secret, a drunken mistake that would never happen again." Now Kate smiles and it reminds me so much of Jafar from Aladdin. You can see the evil in her eyes. "Two months later, when we knew he was going to propose to you, I followed you to the restaurant. I watched him order the champagne and then I sent him a text message. I sent him a picture of a positive pregnancy test saying congratulations Daddy."

Yep, I was right. Everything would change.


End file.
